Persepolis Directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Preparing for the Film
1. What do you know about the Iranian Revolution, also known as the 1979 Revolution or the Islamic Revolution of Iran? 2. What do you imagine it would be like to be a teenager during a revolution that suppressed many teenagers’ desires to separate themselves from family and to experiment--in music, fashion, socializing, and sexual relationships? 3. If you have ever read a graphic novel, describe some elements that a reader can expect. What might be the challenges converting a graphic novel into a film?
Reflecting on the Film
1. Describe Marji's childhood growing up in Tehran. 2. How does the Iranian Revolution impact Marji and her family? Cite specific examples of problems they personally face. 3. What problems does Marji experience after she leaves Tehran to live in Vienna? Which problems are personal to her or are a result of her being an expatriate? 4. When Marji returns to Tehran from Vienna, how would you describe her life? 5. The film shows some social and political contradictions and absurdities that result from radical fundamentalist interpretations of Islamic codes. Cite some of these examples from the film. 6. The film is a graphic novel brought to life in a black and white animation. Occasionally, the film moves to color. What might be the intentions of Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud to use mostly black and white with rare use of color? 7. How would you describe Marjane's grandmother? What are her most important insights and suggestions for Marji?
Writing about the Film
1. The grandmother is one of the extraordinary people in Marji’s life. Write a character analysis of her that starts with a strong thesis that you can support with details from the grandmother’s described history, her behavior as shown in the film, and her expressed insights and suggestions for Marjane. 2. Write an analysis of Marjane that shows how she defies the stereotype of an Islamic woman and discovers her own voice and values by making mistakes.
3. Write an analysis of the problems women face in a fundamentalist Islamic culture. Use specific details from Marjane's experiences in the film to support your points.
4. Focusing on the graphic novel genre, write an essay aguing that animation and the use of cartoon images do or do not capture the drama of this revolutionary era and of the compelling events in Marji's life better than real life actors might. Include specific details from the film to support your claims. Works Cited
Persepolis. Based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. Directed by Marjane Satrapi and
Vincent Paronnaud. Perf. Chiara Mastroianni (Marjane), Catherina Deneuve (Tadji,
Marjane's mother), Simon Abkarian (Ebi, Marjane's father), Danielle Darrieux
(Grandma), Francois Jerosme (Anouche), and Gabrielle Lopes (young Marjane). SONY,
2007. Film.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2007. Print.
Select Film Reviews and Critical Analyses http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/persepolis-2008 http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2008/01/11/persepolis_drawing_on_reality.html http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/apr/25/animation.drama http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2008/01/11/persepolis_drawing_on_reality.html http://www.arlindo-correia.com/200405.html