Persepolis (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Persepolis (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]
by Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud

Persepolis (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

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DVD details

Actor: Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Gena Rowlands, Iggy Pop, Sean Penn
Director: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Brand: Sony
Composer: Olivier Bernet
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: French (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Black & White, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-24
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures

DVD Reviews of Persepolis (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

DVD Review: Movie memoirs, it turns out, are as annoying as book memoirs.
Summary: 2 Stars

Persepolis (Vincent Peronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, 2007)

I'm not sure why I expected the film version of Persepolis to be different than the book--which I enjoyed but wasn't nearly as impressed with as everyone else seems to have been--but I did. As it turns out, it wasn't different at all, save for making certain parts of the book stand out in even starker contrast to their surrounding scenes (such as the embarrassingly awful "Eye of the Tiger" sequence, which I can't believe anyone involved with the movie wasn't horrified enough to excise before this thing ever made it to a theater).

I'm the first to admit that my antipathy towards both book and movie stems from my dislike of memoirs, which tend to be the work of uninteresting people who have led uninteresting lives trying to cash in on the more interesting things that happened around them. Persepolis is no different in this regard (and Satrapi has since gone on two author more books, all of which are, unsurprisingly, either memoir or biography). If you're one of the millions who currently goes gaga over memoirs, you're probably going to love this. I don't like memoirs, and had the expected reaction. Half a star dropped for that painful "Eye of the Tiger" thing. * ?

DVD Review: Surprisingly powerful
Summary: 4 Stars

We have become accustomed to slick, technically amazing cartoons produced by Disney and Pixar. Here is something completely different -- an animated movie produced by humans drawing with pencils on paper in black and white where the emphasis is on the story. We experience the Iranian Islamic Revolution and its brutal aftermath through the eyes of one young Iranian girl and her family.
This is recent history that needs to be retold and remembered because Iran looms so large on the world stage today. With its president spewing hatred on Israel and its scientists racing to acquire a nuclear weapon, we should remember how these extremists came to power and what they did to their own people once they had grasped it.
The movie is scrupulously fair, depicting the brutality of the Shah followed by the much greater savagery of the Islamic regime which succeeded it. We see women harassed for "improper" dress, parties busted, families searched for illegal alcohol. We see the hardship and suffering Iranians had to endure during the 8-year war with Iraq. Most of all, we see the effect of such intolerance and extremism on the delicate psyche of one bright, intelligent woman who wants nothing other than to grow up to be free and to realize her potential.
There are many charming and funny incidents in this movie -- it's not a complete downer. The serious story it tells is one we can all identify with.

DVD Review: Some UK reviewers have criticized it, but ...
Summary: 5 Stars

Some UK reviewers have criticized Marjane for seemingly complaining that the Iranian regime tried to stop her and her associates from partying. I would not defend partying of this kind, but it is evident that these critical reviewers have not had the experience of living under a tyrannical regime. I would not wish it on anyone. To dissociate oneself from a pervasive and dominant foli ? plusieurs is incredibly difficult and many people go insane in the attempt or commit suicide.

In fact this book and DVD is very helpful in understanding how many people inevitably react in a repressive, authoritarian regime when trying to maintain a personal integrity. If you squeeze a balloon in one place, it will splurge out in another - often in an unpalatable way. What amazes me is how dissidents manage to remain sane in authoritarian regimes of this nature. The author, and her family, should be commended for having done so. It also takes courage to produce an account of this sort.

I would unreservedly recommend "Persepolis", both in book form and in DVD format, despite the inevitable unpalatability of some of the content. It may be uncomfortable, but it should function a warning to us as to what could happen even in currently 'democratic' states unless we face reality now and stop engaging in denial.

DVD Review: Necessary to understand the value of freedom
Summary: 5 Stars

I recommend this movie to evreyone, specially to those that doubt about the good of freedom. This film has a lot to do in some way with wat is happening in Venezuela. A similar type of government is destroying all sorts of liberties. You can see through this film the luck we have to live in free countries and the importance of the values of a free society. The animation is really good and a some scenes are funny. A must see

DVD Review: Excellent cartoon depiction of real life drama
Summary: 4 Stars

I had not seen a real good animated movie in a long time. This fit the bill even in its black an white form. This story of a Muslim woman living through a revolution and culture shock would be of great interest to a progressive open minded woman. It has many laughs as well. A perfect movie for the times. I don't think religious traditionalists would approve but a piece of work worth the scrutiny and dollar.

Description of Persepolis (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Persepolis is the poignant story of a young girl coming-of-age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of precocious and outspoken nine-year-old Marjane that we see a 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, ABBA and Iron Maiden. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and as 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 age 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. In addition, Marjane has to combat being equated with the religious fundamentalism and extremism she fled her country to escape. Over time, she gains acceptance, and even experiences love, but after high school she finds herself alone and horribly homesick. Though it means putting on the veil and living in a tyrannical society, Marjane decides to return to Iran to be close to her family. After a difficult period of adjustment, she enters art school and marries, all the while continuing to speak out against the hypocrisy she witnesses. At age 24, she realizes that while she is deeply Iranian, she cannot live in Iran. She then makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her homeland for France, optimistic about her future, shaped indelibly by her past.

A fascinating and wholly unexpected take on Iran's Islamic revolution beginning in the 1970s, Persepolis is an enthralling, animated feature about a spirited young woman who spends her life trying to deal with the consequences of her nation's history. Based on an autobiographical comic book by Marjane Satrapi, the story concerns Marji (voiced as a teenager and woman by Chiara Mastroianni), whose natural fire and precociousness are slowly dampened by the rise of religious extremists. Marji grieves over the imprisonment and execution of a beloved uncle, then begrudgingly adapts to ever-tightening rules about dress, social mores, education for women, and expectations about marriage and divorce. Along the way, her grandmother (Danielle Darrieux) and mother (Catherine Deneuve) help keep Marji grounded during her rebellious teens and encourage her to find life beyond Iran's borders, a decision that proves both a blessing and curse. An unique window onto a crucial chapter of 20th century history, Persepolis is graphically engaging with its black-and-white, bold lines and feeling of repressed energy, fit to burst. The emotional content is so strong that after awhile, one almost forgets the film is a cartoon. Satrapi co-wrote the screenplay and co-directed the film along with animator Vincent Paronnaud. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Persepolis (click for larger image)

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