Persepolis (2007)

Directors:

Vincent Paronnaud
Marjane Satrapi

Writers:

Vincent Paronnaud (screenplay)
Marjane Satrapi (comic & screenplay)

Release Date:

27 June 2007 (France)

Genre:

Animation | Biography | Drama

Plot:

Poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Iranian Revolution | Religious Intolerance | Cowardice | Godzilla | Karl Marx

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 15 wins & 21 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Chiara Mastroianni	...	Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)
Catherine Deneuve	...	Mrs. Satrapi - Marjane's mother (voice)
Danielle Darrieux	...	Marjane's grandmother (voice)
Simon Abkarian	...	Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father (voice)
Gabrielle Lopes	...	Marjane as a child (voice)
François Jerosme	...	Anouche (voice)
Arié Elmaleh	...	(voice)
Mathias Mlekuz	...	(voice)
Jean-François Gallotte
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stéphane Foenkinos
Tilly Mandelbrot	...	Lali (voice)

Also Known As:

Persépolis (Argentina) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Persepolis (Finland) [fi]
Persepolis (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Persepolis (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Persepolis (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

France:95 min | Turkey:89 min (TV version)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

French | English | Persian | German

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Taiwan:R-12 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:PG | France:U | Germany:12 | USA:PG-13 | Sweden:7 | Canada:14A | Argentina:Atp | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:12A | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-11 | UK:12A (2008)

Company:

2.4.7. Films

Trivia:

France's official submission for the Best Foreign-Language Film category at The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: When it is 1992, Marji marries. Her mother says her that she is just 21 years old. But in last minutes of movie, it is written 22.11.1969 as her date of birth. So when she got married, she is at least 23 years old.

Quotes:

Marjane's grandmother: In this life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's their own stupidity that makes them act that way. That will keep you from responding to their meanness. There's nothing worse in this world than bitterness and revenge. Hold your head up and stay true to yourself.

Movie Connections:

References "Derrick" (1974)

Soundtrack:

Eye of the Tiger

the book is a fuller experience

I rated this film a 9 more as a visual complement to the comic book (of two volumes, now bound as one), which I believe to be a masterpiece. If you left the film less than emotionally attached to the characters, PLEASE give the book a chance, because, as is often the case, episodes and histories of a lot of the characters, including Marjane, are left out to adapt the story to a film medium. Having said that, there are great sequences, expressionistic animation, and the wiseass grandma is left fully intact from the books! I can understand why some people weren't emotionally compelled by it though, since the movie doesn't take the time to fill the audience in on all the quirkiness and endearing qualities of the characters as Satrapi originally conceived them.