Link to full movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNx4Pa2Gqfk
The life of Marjane Satrapi is both the primary subject of her autobiographical graphic novel,
Persepolis, as well as her film adaptation of the same name. There is a direct connection between the two by default for they are essentially the same story and plot expressed in different mediums---in this case---a comic and a movie. Themes of death, war, and identity pervade throughout the story, as we see vivid depictions of Satrapi's life in a war-torn Iran and her coming-of-age in Vienna, Austria. She is an extremely conflicted individual constantly trying to find herself in a culture that she both takes pride in and resents. However, I feel that the central theme of the movie is death---for it takes on forms both literally and metaphorically as the plot progresses. First off, the death of her uncle was a prominent event in her life. To have one's most admired figure and hero in their life die is a significant blow to one's faith both in God and humanity. In addition, a part of Marjane died along with her uncle, for she lost a sense of direction, as her former self began to deteriorate. Her parent's decision marked the complete death of her past self, as she found herself somewhat reborn in the foreign country of Austria. There she became a product of its culture, going as far as denying her Iranian nationality and saying she is French. During her time in Vienna, she experiences the "metaphorical" deaths of friend groups, lovers, and her own innocence. She continually grows tired of her friends, moving from one group to the next, all the while leading a nomadic life jumping from one home to the next, doing drugs, and having her heart simultaneously broken. Eventually, she finds herself living on the streets and becoming very ill, which leads her to return to Iran, signifying another metaphorical death and rebirth. Her parents' acceptance of her, despite what she did in Vienna, is an allusion to the biblical parable of "The Prodigal Son," representing Marjane's return to faith and God. She eventually grows tired of the newly reformed Iranian culture and becomes discontent with her marriage, deciding that she must leave Iran for good, marking her final death and rebirth into her full independence as an individual. We all experience death at one point or another in our lives---whether it be literal or metaphorical. Despite the overuse, it truly is through death that we come alive. I know I have.
The life of Marjane Satrapi is both the primary subject of her autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, as well as her film adaptation of the same name. There is a direct connection between the two by default for they are essentially the same story and plot expressed in different mediums---in this case---a comic and a movie. Themes of death, war, and identity pervade throughout the story, as we see vivid depictions of Satrapi's life in a war-torn Iran and her coming-of-age in Vienna, Austria. She is an extremely conflicted individual constantly trying to find herself in a culture that she both takes pride in and resents. However, I feel that the central theme of the movie is death---for it takes on forms both literally and metaphorically as the plot progresses. First off, the death of her uncle was a prominent event in her life. To have one's most admired figure and hero in their life die is a significant blow to one's faith both in God and humanity. In addition, a part of Marjane died along with her uncle, for she lost a sense of direction, as her former self began to deteriorate. Her parent's decision marked the complete death of her past self, as she found herself somewhat reborn in the foreign country of Austria. There she became a product of its culture, going as far as denying her Iranian nationality and saying she is French. During her time in Vienna, she experiences the "metaphorical" deaths of friend groups, lovers, and her own innocence. She continually grows tired of her friends, moving from one group to the next, all the while leading a nomadic life jumping from one home to the next, doing drugs, and having her heart simultaneously broken. Eventually, she finds herself living on the streets and becoming very ill, which leads her to return to Iran, signifying another metaphorical death and rebirth. Her parents' acceptance of her, despite what she did in Vienna, is an allusion to the biblical parable of "The Prodigal Son," representing Marjane's return to faith and God. She eventually grows tired of the newly reformed Iranian culture and becomes discontent with her marriage, deciding that she must leave Iran for good, marking her final death and rebirth into her full independence as an individual. We all experience death at one point or another in our lives---whether it be literal or metaphorical. Despite the overuse, it truly is through death that we come alive. I know I have.
