Iran so Far Away

Persepolis

In a cinematic landscape filled increasingly by high-tech computer-generated imagery, it's refreshing to see the simple and expressive animation of "Persepolis," last year's Best Animated Feature Oscar nominee. Told mostly in stark blacks and whites, "Persepolis" is as much a history lesson as it is a memoir.

"Persepolis" tells the story of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and its aftermath through the eyes of a young Iranian girl. When we meet the young Marjane "Marji" Satrapi, the Western-backed Shah is still in power in Iran. Indoctrinated by her school teacher and by the government, Marji believes the Shah to be divinely ordained as head of state. In a very funny aside, Marji's father explains how England supported the Shah in return for access to oil.

Then comes the insurrection, swift and decisive, after which many political prisoners are set free. Marji meets her estranged uncle Anouche, a communist, and falls in love with his way of life. Then hell breaks lose in Iran. The country is declared a theocracy and becomes subject to a very conservative Islamic code of conduct. Shortly thereafter, Iraq, emboldened by Iran's internal conflict, attacks its eastern neighbor. It is no longer safe for Marji, now a teenager, to remain. She is sent to boarding school in Vienna where, it turns out, she learns some important life lessons.

"Persepolis" was co-written and co-directed by the real-life Marjane Satrapi, whose autobiographical graphic novel "Persepolis" inspired the movie. All of the seminal events in Satrapi's life are mentioned here, told with brutal honesty and a sense of irony. The scenes in "Persepolis" range from tragic - young men turned soldiers running through mine fields - to heartfelt and hilarious.

The artwork in "Persepolis" is very beautiful in its simplicity and starkness. Thick black and white lines frame every face and every body. When something happens to Marji that is too awful or absurd to imagine, the lines become distorted and grotesque. In one scene, chastising Muslim schoolteachers become cruel faces in amorphous burqas.

"Persepolis" is not the masterwork that many critics have claimed it to be, but it is a charming, honest and important movie. Its discussion on liberty and justice in Iran is startling and its commentary on the role of women is intensely troubling.

Unfortunately, not every country in the world is satisfied with "Persepolis." Lebanese authorities have banned it from the country, citing a distorted image of Muslims in Iran. The Iranian government was so opposed to the movie that it sent a letter to the French embassy in Tehran to protest against the movie and also pressured the organizers of last year's Bangkok Film Festival to drop "Persepolis" from the lineup.

*** out of ****