Persepolis review

Persepolis is a French animated film that was nominated for the 2008 Best Animated Picture Academy Award. The film somehow made it to limited release in the US and even made it to my local theater despite not really having an audience here.

The film tells the story of a nine-year-old girl in Tehran, Iran circa the Iranian Revolution. It follows the war and her relationships as she comes of age and learns the difficult lessons of life.

This movie is absolutley, stunningly beautiful. The animation is so fluent yet so subtle. The characters just spring to life. All of the backgrounds and scenery are like paintings. It's rare I can say that, but it's true. It is just breathtaking.

The plot of this film is what shocks me. It is about the Iranian Revolution and how it affects a particular family. The message it portrays is one that can misconstrued as anti-American, anti-Capitalist, and pro-communist. But that's not the message here. The message here is that every person has the capacity to do harm, but it is our responsibility what we do with our life.

It portrays a side of life Americans have never had to face. It shows the real problems with Capitalism, and don't say there isn't any, because that's just naive. Every government is trying to find the balance between equality and freedom. You can't have all of both. This film is so important in that regard.

The characters and the dialogue is amazing as well. it manages to show real morality and life lessons along this child's journey, and the film is violent and depressing at times, but it also knows how to make you laugh at just the right time. It has all shades of emotion packed into a portrait of sizable beauty. Truly amazing!

Unfortunaetly, this movie is hard on the mind and is not very accessible. I found it quite the achievment, but I can certainly see where someone else wouldn't. Overall, I give it a

94/100