Persepolis (2007) directed by Vincent Paronnad and Marjane Satrapi is a great animation detailing a story of a lifetime. Through this model and structure of storytelling, Satrapi's autobiography (and graphic novel) becomes an abstract (or near-abstract) representation of the mimetic.
As the audience learns about historical context Marjane's character is brought to our attention as a sort of a sponge; she listens to the adults she is around in her most formative years as a child and young adult. As she does this she applies it throughout events in her life.
We see this when Marjane illegally purchases CDs in her 'punk is not dead' jacket. She is quickly reprimanded by two authoritative women who belong to the Guardians of the Revolution and gives them a sob story and they eventually leave her alone. We learn here that Marjane is in a bit of her rebellious phase. More importantly, in this scene is how the women approach her. The audience is shown two dark figures moving slowly across the screen dressed in their head-to-toe garments. Through this side animation, our mind tells us these two figures are not good news. These women don't even have footsteps, they seem to hover over her. These depictions lead us to understand these are looming and even omnipresent beings that swoop in to reafirm the rules for Marjane.
The linear plot in this film works very well because it accounts a history that many Western cultures either don't understand or have never really known about the situation in Iran and the Middle East. This being said the audience is only shown so much. The gaps inbetween the not just the actual animations but the scenes lead the spectators to understand the abstractions as transitions in Marjane's life that have had lasting impacts on Iranian identity.
Astra, I loved how you connected with Marjane's rebellious attitude. It was hard to see the older women around her look at her actions and outspoken nature as shameful. The black and white animation only added to the intensity of these interactions, reactions, and emotions surrounding each character. Marjane's childhood displays precisely how one is affected by the surroundings of the horrors of war, seen here as the effects of the Iranian Revolution. I could not imagine how difficult it would be to respect such strict, repressing law and values as a young woman. I appreciate your blog post and how respectful yet curious your take was concerning this animated film! I liked this film very much as well.
ReplyDeleteDelilah Rose