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shadowkatSaw three flicks this weekend, but only one sticks out in my memory, Persepolis, an animated film written and directed by Marjane Satrapi about her youth in Iran from 1978-1994, before she immgrated to live in France and based on the graphic novels of the same name, which she also wrote and drew.
This may be the best film I've seen in the past three or four years. It certainly is the most eye-opening. The only other film I've seen that haunts me in this way was at the NY Film Society Festival on Human Rights about three-four years ago. (2005) It was a documentary film about a Sri Lankan woman's life in war torn Sri Lanka or Ceylone. Entitled No More Tears, Sister . In some ways Persepolis, reminds me of the other film, even though the two films are quite different, not only in how they are told but in their subject matter. It's their overall effect on me personally that was similar.
Persepolis is a film that I wish I could make you see. Unlike the other films and tv shows I've discussed in this journal, this one is harder to describe, because of how the story is told. It's an animated film, but as Iggy Pop, one of the voices for the English version, states - the animation reminds me more of the old German abstract war and noir films of the 1930s, such as the Peter Lorre film "M", or Orson Well's "The Third Man", or the work of Fritz Lang.
Outside of the opening and closing reels, the majority of the two hour film is told in flashback and in black and white, much like the graphic novels, yet it is also very different from the graphic novels. The writer wisely realizes that the two mediums are quite different and require different approachs - story boards she states in one of the commentaries, do not work, you have to build scenes that move.
Persepolis animation is unlike any I've seen. It's not as cute as disney, or as three dimensional as Pixar, it goes for abstract realism and focuses on shadows and light, as opposed to brilliant color or 3D CGI imagery. According to the behind the scenes documentary in the special features section after the film, the animators used a combination of cell animation or hand drawn and computer. Each movement was drawn by a different animator. Then they were put together on the computer, where color was added along with movement and sound. If you want to know what the process is for creating a film like this on a small budget, be sure to watch "Making of Persepolis" in the special features section.
The story itself is mainly a young woman's coming of age tale in war torn Iran during the period in which the Shah was overthrown and the Mulism extremists took over. Women went from being able to go about town without anything covering their heads, to being covered head to toe in long scarves. There's a rather funny sequence at an art school, where Marjane is attempting to draw one of these women in a life drawing class. She states, this is pointless, from every angle the woman looks the same, a head inside a big tent. While tragic in places, its funny in others - effectively pulling the audience inside the POV of the protagonist. We feel what it is like to be a true outsider, in both your own culture and all others. Marjane must leave Iran, because in Iran she would be killed, raped or placed in prison for being herself. Yet even outside of Iran, she struggles with how her people are perceived. Marjane states in the documentary that she chose animation because with live action, people would just perceive it as another story about a bunch of Arabs, as opposed to a human story that could be about anyone and is more universial in context. Animation, she believes, can provide a more level playing field. She's also able in animation to show the features that set her people apart, yet at the same time the ones that make us all human.
Marjane's hope is that the film will provide a better understanding of what is happening in Iran, that the Iranian people are not our enemy, and create an interest in learning more about Persia and it's culture. Speaking purely for myself, I think she succeeded. After watching this film, I had a new appreciation for what Iranians were going through and an increased desire to learn more about their culture. It's so easy, I think, to dismiss the people in Iran and Iraq. Forgetting that these are just people, no different than the rest of us, with the same desires, urges, fears, and hopes, just different ways of expressing and enjoying them.
A lot of people are under the false impression that Iran is Arab, Marjane states (I blame the media). They aren't. They are Persian. Calling them Arab is a bit like calling Palestinans - Jewish or vice versa. Or Chinese - Japenese. Or the French - Spainish. The cultures are very different.
Another comment Marjane states in the documentary, is that while the film is about politics, it's really just about the universal concept of being an outsider, of trying to fit in, and trying to make one's life work in a difficult environment. The politics - she states is also a big part of it, but that is not because she wants to discuss it, one does not wish to talk about politics, she says, politics is sort of thrust upon you and you are given no choice. It won't let you ignore it. Particularly in a country ruled by a dictatorship.
I wish I could write better this morning, have a sick headache partly due to the weather, I'm sensitive to the barometric pressure in the air before violent thunderstorms - it gives me nauseous headaches..., the second in row this weekend. Makes a difficult to think. Also incredibly frustrating. Had a lot I wanted to get done, but was largely unable to do most of it. Including this review. Ah well, will post, anyhow.
I hope the people with netflix out there, put PERSEPOLIS on their queue. It is the best movie I've seen since 2005. Nothing compares to it in every respect. It's in some ways like a breath of fresh air on a smoggy morning. Clean, crisp, and brand new. Off to take an aleve and get rid of this headache.
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frenchani reminded me of something that I forgot to mention above and is yet another reason that this film is so special, particularly for a renter. The DVD has two film versions - one in English and one in French. Both versions were written and directed by Marjane, both have the same actors for the mother and daughter (Marjane), the uncle and father are voiced by different actors in each version. The French features a popular French Comedian as the father's voice. The English features Scean Penn and Iggy Pop. As the Grandmother, the great Gena Rowlends of the John Cassevetes films, plays the role in the English version. Unlike other animated and foreign films that have been dubbed in this manner, Marjane did something interesting - she created a new film for each version. She states in the documentary, that in reality the English version is a new film, because the actors are different and they had to change things, Gena brings a different dimension to the grandmother than the French actress did for example. Also as Gena Rowlends states, the French speak much faster than the English/Americans do. It's a faster language, less words are required. So they had to slow down the animation in places for the actors. Both versions are on the DVD, along with two documentaries - Making of Persepolis - which is in French with English subtitles, and Behind the Scenes at Persepolis which is English. I've never seen anyone do this on a DVD before. Usually, it's all in French with English subs. Or all in English. Nor have I ever seen anyone redo their own film so that a speaker of another language can appreciate it without having to read the subtitles. It's important to note that Marjane wrote and directed both versions, she did not hire an English writer. Marjane is fluent in both languages. Innovative concept and quite admirable considering the budget of the film and time constraints of the process. Okay, now I'm off to watch the French version - since I sort of understand French without having to read it. This may be a movie that'll have to buy at some point, or at the very least one I buy and give to my brother and his wife to ensure they see it.]
This may be the best film I've seen in the past three or four years. It certainly is the most eye-opening. The only other film I've seen that haunts me in this way was at the NY Film Society Festival on Human Rights about three-four years ago. (2005) It was a documentary film about a Sri Lankan woman's life in war torn Sri Lanka or Ceylone. Entitled No More Tears, Sister . In some ways Persepolis, reminds me of the other film, even though the two films are quite different, not only in how they are told but in their subject matter. It's their overall effect on me personally that was similar.
Persepolis is a film that I wish I could make you see. Unlike the other films and tv shows I've discussed in this journal, this one is harder to describe, because of how the story is told. It's an animated film, but as Iggy Pop, one of the voices for the English version, states - the animation reminds me more of the old German abstract war and noir films of the 1930s, such as the Peter Lorre film "M", or Orson Well's "The Third Man", or the work of Fritz Lang.
Outside of the opening and closing reels, the majority of the two hour film is told in flashback and in black and white, much like the graphic novels, yet it is also very different from the graphic novels. The writer wisely realizes that the two mediums are quite different and require different approachs - story boards she states in one of the commentaries, do not work, you have to build scenes that move.
Persepolis animation is unlike any I've seen. It's not as cute as disney, or as three dimensional as Pixar, it goes for abstract realism and focuses on shadows and light, as opposed to brilliant color or 3D CGI imagery. According to the behind the scenes documentary in the special features section after the film, the animators used a combination of cell animation or hand drawn and computer. Each movement was drawn by a different animator. Then they were put together on the computer, where color was added along with movement and sound. If you want to know what the process is for creating a film like this on a small budget, be sure to watch "Making of Persepolis" in the special features section.
The story itself is mainly a young woman's coming of age tale in war torn Iran during the period in which the Shah was overthrown and the Mulism extremists took over. Women went from being able to go about town without anything covering their heads, to being covered head to toe in long scarves. There's a rather funny sequence at an art school, where Marjane is attempting to draw one of these women in a life drawing class. She states, this is pointless, from every angle the woman looks the same, a head inside a big tent. While tragic in places, its funny in others - effectively pulling the audience inside the POV of the protagonist. We feel what it is like to be a true outsider, in both your own culture and all others. Marjane must leave Iran, because in Iran she would be killed, raped or placed in prison for being herself. Yet even outside of Iran, she struggles with how her people are perceived. Marjane states in the documentary that she chose animation because with live action, people would just perceive it as another story about a bunch of Arabs, as opposed to a human story that could be about anyone and is more universial in context. Animation, she believes, can provide a more level playing field. She's also able in animation to show the features that set her people apart, yet at the same time the ones that make us all human.
Marjane's hope is that the film will provide a better understanding of what is happening in Iran, that the Iranian people are not our enemy, and create an interest in learning more about Persia and it's culture. Speaking purely for myself, I think she succeeded. After watching this film, I had a new appreciation for what Iranians were going through and an increased desire to learn more about their culture. It's so easy, I think, to dismiss the people in Iran and Iraq. Forgetting that these are just people, no different than the rest of us, with the same desires, urges, fears, and hopes, just different ways of expressing and enjoying them.
A lot of people are under the false impression that Iran is Arab, Marjane states (I blame the media). They aren't. They are Persian. Calling them Arab is a bit like calling Palestinans - Jewish or vice versa. Or Chinese - Japenese. Or the French - Spainish. The cultures are very different.
Another comment Marjane states in the documentary, is that while the film is about politics, it's really just about the universal concept of being an outsider, of trying to fit in, and trying to make one's life work in a difficult environment. The politics - she states is also a big part of it, but that is not because she wants to discuss it, one does not wish to talk about politics, she says, politics is sort of thrust upon you and you are given no choice. It won't let you ignore it. Particularly in a country ruled by a dictatorship.
I wish I could write better this morning, have a sick headache partly due to the weather, I'm sensitive to the barometric pressure in the air before violent thunderstorms - it gives me nauseous headaches..., the second in row this weekend. Makes a difficult to think. Also incredibly frustrating. Had a lot I wanted to get done, but was largely unable to do most of it. Including this review. Ah well, will post, anyhow.
I hope the people with netflix out there, put PERSEPOLIS on their queue. It is the best movie I've seen since 2005. Nothing compares to it in every respect. It's in some ways like a breath of fresh air on a smoggy morning. Clean, crisp, and brand new. Off to take an aleve and get rid of this headache.
[ETA:
frenchani reminded me of something that I forgot to mention above and is yet another reason that this film is so special, particularly for a renter. The DVD has two film versions - one in English and one in French. Both versions were written and directed by Marjane, both have the same actors for the mother and daughter (Marjane), the uncle and father are voiced by different actors in each version. The French features a popular French Comedian as the father's voice. The English features Scean Penn and Iggy Pop. As the Grandmother, the great Gena Rowlends of the John Cassevetes films, plays the role in the English version. Unlike other animated and foreign films that have been dubbed in this manner, Marjane did something interesting - she created a new film for each version. She states in the documentary, that in reality the English version is a new film, because the actors are different and they had to change things, Gena brings a different dimension to the grandmother than the French actress did for example. Also as Gena Rowlends states, the French speak much faster than the English/Americans do. It's a faster language, less words are required. So they had to slow down the animation in places for the actors. Both versions are on the DVD, along with two documentaries - Making of Persepolis - which is in French with English subtitles, and Behind the Scenes at Persepolis which is English. I've never seen anyone do this on a DVD before. Usually, it's all in French with English subs. Or all in English. Nor have I ever seen anyone redo their own film so that a speaker of another language can appreciate it without having to read the subtitles. It's important to note that Marjane wrote and directed both versions, she did not hire an English writer. Marjane is fluent in both languages. Innovative concept and quite admirable considering the budget of the film and time constraints of the process. Okay, now I'm off to watch the French version - since I sort of understand French without having to read it. This may be a movie that'll have to buy at some point, or at the very least one I buy and give to my brother and his wife to ensure they see it.]
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 08:51 pm (UTC)And the fact that it is written, directed and largely produced by a woman - makes it even more interesting considering that this is a field that is extreemly hard for women to get into.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 06:09 pm (UTC)Thanks for reminding me
Date: 2008-06-29 08:34 pm (UTC)In the Making of Documentary (in French with English subtitles) and the Behind the Scenes Documentary (in English) - Marjane states that they basically made two movies. Because French is a faster language than English, so they had to slow down some of the scenes and animation. So in effect there are two films, one in French (which can be seen with English subtitles) and one in English.
This is a different methodology than is used with most foreign films, usually they do not remix or re-edit or refilm sections, they just dub, so occassionally things seem off.
Here the fit is perfect, because they redid portions to fit the speed of the language.
Also Catherine Deneuve, who plays the mother, and the French actress who plays Marjane did the voices for both versions. They speak English and French. Their English is accented, so it worked here - you had a definite accent to the English, similar to Marjane's. Marjane also is fluent in both languages, which surprised me. So she wrote both the English and French version, another a major difference.
In this respect, Persepolis is unlike any foreign film I've seen, including Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, whose English versions were written by English writers not the original author. Here - both versions are written by Marjane. So, I can ask you the same question? Have you seen the English version? Because it may be a different film than the French, and provide yet another perspective.
Re: Thanks for reminding me
Date: 2008-06-30 07:53 am (UTC)http://frenchani.livejournal.com/221586.html#cutid5
I wonder which part took Vincent Paronnaud, who co-wrote and co-directed the film, in that version...
Re: Thanks for reminding me
Date: 2008-07-01 12:01 am (UTC)(In short, I don't think it matters as much in animated film to have the same language as it does in a live action version - I say that having seen the French dubbed version of Smokey and The Bandit and True Grit. Burt Reynolds and John Wayne sound hilarious with French accents. Sort of like watching Gerald Depardiu dubbed with John Wayne's voice.)
Iggy Pop does not sound like Iggy Pop in the English version and I think he did the same character as Vincent Paronnaud did - the uncle. Not sure.
At any rate, I wouldn't rush out and see the English version - unless you really want to.
If there are differences in the animation, I couldn't find them.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 08:56 pm (UTC)I don't know why they gave the Oscar to Ratatouille over Persepolis. Sure it's prettier, but of the two, Persepolis was far more innovative and groundbreaking. Ratatouille doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary, and it doesn't haunt you. This thing blew me away, and I loved Ratatouille, but it dims in comparison.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-30 01:49 am (UTC)And the only layers? It's difficult to be the best, when the group wants you to be mediocre like everyone else. Not exactly deep.
Ratatouille was a cartoon or a kid's film in my opinion. Lots of fun, but not memorable. Sort of like seeing Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk. It was admittedly the best of what I like to call the computer generated animation flicks last year - but the competition was Surf's Up and Shrek the IIIrd.
This year's crop in some respects is a bit more interesting with Wall-E.
Persepolis, I remember reading, didn't get the popular critical vote, because it wasn't as "pretty" as Ratatouille, nor as "realistic" in it's depiction. (A lot of film critics don't appreciate animation and haven't seen much of it. It's a medium that for a long time, most people associated with Loony Tunes and Disney. They think animation means a children's film, and Persepolis unlike Triplets of Bellview or even Spirited Away is NOT a kid's film. In fact, I would not show it to anyone under the age of at least 16 or 17 years of age. It has adult content in it. I think it is rated PG-14 or R, not certain. Another reason that it may have been overlooked.)
Also unlike Ratatouille and Kung-Fu Panda, etc, Persepolis' director clearly has an understanding of film history and techniques.
She has managed to make an animated film that breaks new ground, while commenting on what has happened before. I think Persepolis will be studied in film school ten years from now, I'll be surprised if Ratatouille is even remembered.