Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content.

Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and MarjaneSatrapi

Written by Vincent Paronnaud and MarjaneSatrapi

Starring Chiara Mastroianni and Catherine Deneurve

In my opinion, Persepolis may be one of the most depressing and annoying films for 2007. Not only is it an animated black and white film with subtitles that bothered me, but the constant whining by a young upper class girl who thinks that the world should revolve around her was very bothersome. I’m sure I did not get the point as I am not up to date on the historical significance of that period of time in the Middle East, but I venture to say that most of those that go see the film looking for the usual animated fare will not get it either.

To be fair to those that have a keen interest in Iran’s historical revolutionary growth, I am giving you the studio version of what the film is all about.

Persepolis is a poignant story of a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of precocious and outspoken nine-year-old Marjane (Mastroianni) that we see the people’s hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power –forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Clever and fearless, she outsmarts the “social guardians” and discovers punk. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and the bombs fall around Tehran in the Iran/Iraq war, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable. As she gets older, Marjane’s boldness causes her parents to worry over her continued safety. And so, at the age of fourteen, they make the difficult decision to send her to school in Austria. Vulnerable and alone in a strange land, she endures the typical ordeals of a teenager. Over time, she gains acceptance and even experiences love, but after high school she finds herself alone and horribly homesick- Sony Classics

Even though Sony Classics offers more in its synopsis, to tell you anymore would give away the ending and that would be an injustice to a critical review.

I admit I am not an ordinary critic that focus’s on unusual films and holds them most high, but one that looks at film first as entertainment value. I did not find the film entertaining for the masses. Students in Middle East studies will probably get more out of the film as well as those who are supporters of the crisis that has been ongoing in Iran for years.

The animation in black and white is to provide the gloom and urgency of the plight of the child, but it just made for less enjoyment on my part. The subtitles were sometimes hard to read due to the speed at which they talked and the backgrounds on which they were displayed. Most importantly, the flat animation as opposed to the more common computer generated 3D did not work for me.

If you are going to see the film, and you are a student of history, it would be smart to find out more about Iran in the times in which the film is set. You may also want to chat with your history teacher and maybe go as a class for later discussions on the subject matter. It is also fair to mention that the film is rated PG-13 due to violence, language, sexual references and some drug use.

FINAL ANALYSIS: The film is not for everyone and especially children who will not understand the subject matter. Persepolis is best seem by Students of World or Mid-Eastern civilization and politics.