Persepolis Movie Review

It’s rare that I give a movie five stars. I don’t really like the five star system, tens better and rotten tomatoes percentage system really is best. But I’m a Netflix whore, so I don’t have a chose in the matter. Jobless, with a lot of time on my hands, I am at there mercy. They are my crack. Them and entrecard.com, my new, very easy distraction in life.

Back to Persepolis. You could call it a coming of age story, but that phrase gives off the wrong impression, making it too simple and ordinary. Yes, it is about a young lady, born in Iran in 1978 and her families struggle with the revolution and the ward, and about her transformation from a Iranian preteen to a teenager pretty much on her on in Europe to an adult rediscovering her own country and herself. And yes, that plot line does seem very coming of age. But the film embraces so much more than that.

Marji is a rich and engrossing character. You care about her and her whole family. Her parents, grandmother, uncle and a whole host of miscellaneous friends and family round out a beautiful cast. Not only are the characters well developed, more importantly, they provide some sort of comparison or critique against Marji.


This is an animated film unlike any that I have seen. Mostly in black and white, I believe to bring the burkas to center attention, the style is harsh and cartoon-ish with thick black lines, lots of pure white contrast and lost of detail being paid to distinct facial features. It’s beautifully animated, but not in a way that distracts from the whole plot, or draws your eye away from the center of attention as some animated movies do in my opinion by going into too much detail on backgrounds.

Musically, I loved the contrast between the “Western”, loud, puck style bands and the bell tower ringing in tune to a more whimsical, classically orchastra style score.



I can only assume that the history presented in the film is correct, as I, like most Americans, am sadly undereducated when it comes to the middle east. I feel more culturally and ethically aware after viewing this and hope I take the interest in the Iranian culture I now have and run with it, hopefully learning lots through the experience and sharing with you all.