Tag: persepolis

Was finally able to watch the Persepolis movie yesterday, and it comes as a relief that it’s not one of those annoying movie adaptations that fail to live up to the reader’s expectations.

If you’re not already familiar with the 2-part graphic novel (although there is already a complete edition with both parts in one book), Persepolis by Marjane (mar-zhan) Satrapi is a coming-of-age memoir in comic strips, narrating her life growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution, studying in Austria, and then returning to her home country.

The comics, done in pen and ink, swing between irreverent and hilarious to poignant and insightful. I liked the first book, which is focused on Satrapi’s childhood, better than the second, which deals with her schooling abroad onwards. The perspective changes in the second book, naturally — the humor gets drier as she grows older and deals with more issues, but it is still worth reading to get the whole story.To parents who are wondering if the comics are suitable for young readers, the first book is okay for younger teens (6th grade to junior high, but be prepared to answer questions and explain certain concepts), but reserve the second book for later, as it deals with more mature issues.

The Persepolis movie, which debuted at the 2007 Cannes, is as highly acclaimed as the book. The animation is a bit more polished than the comics, but resembles it closely enough that you wouldn’t really notice. Some episodes from the first book are not in the film, especially those that don’t really propel the story forward, but the film is in essence faithful to the book.

The film also manages to make some episodes even funnier and some even more poignant, even though I’d read them already, and an adaptation that can do that is worth lauding. I cried a bit when uncle Anoush gave Marji the bread swans, and when the”Eye of the Tiger” sequence was rolling, I was doubled over laughing!

Film adaptations, when executed properly, add another dimension of enjoyment to the experience of reading a book, and the Persepolis movie does just that. It’s one of the very few movie adaptations that I’ve enjoyed recently, so bravo to that!

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My copies: Persepolis 1, trade paperback, from NBS Book-sak Presyo Sale (a steal at P75); Persepolis 2, trade paperback, mooched from abroad

My rating: Persepolis I, 5/5 stars; Persepolis II, 4/5 stars
Persepolis movie, 5/5 stars