The Power of the Animation
The Persepolis tells a story of the Iranian Revolution, a really heavy and dark historical event. People were treated unfairly, and the war was taking freedom and life away from people. If it's just a regular film, it would be a lot more like a documentary or personal biography. However, since it's an animation film, it has the power to focus on some of the aspects that would not be appropriated in the regular format. Especially when abstraction and mimesis were introduced in the world of animation. In one of the scenes, Marjane hears a story from her uncle and interprets it differently from what it is supposed to mean. This is the moment that the abstraction and mimesis are taking charge of. In the real-life, when people are trying to talk about something very serious, kids are probably be taken away from their parents. However, in this scene, Marjane is not only part of the conversation but also does some inappropriate action based on that conversation. This is the moment that the animated film is shifting away from mimesis. In addition to that, the facial expression those kids are making is true "evil," which will be hilarious if it's on a real human being. Yet, the animation can interpret this as an abstraction and create a special feeling. Like in the following picture, those faces could be the symbol of the negative influence caused by the revolution.
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| Persepolis |
Michael, I too love animated films. It is the best feeling when you catch adult humor in an animated movie that has been broadcasted for all audiences. It sounds like you enjoyed this film as well... you should read the graphic novel, I'm sure you would like too.
ReplyDeleteI think you did an excellent job describing this film and how it approached the dark history of Iran. I'm glad you focused on how Marjane focused on the grownup's conversations. At the moment, it seemed so interesting to everyone in the room, while in reality, kids are often distracted in a short period of time. It is excellent that you approached how Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi appreciated the intensity and importance of facial expression.
I enjoyed reading your blog about “Persepolis!”
Delilah Rose
Your comment about Marjane's understanding of her uncles story brought some new understanding to my insights on the film. Nemisis and abstraction really come into play with Marjane as a young child, some of her most formative experiences. And I believe as she gets older her life becomes perhaps less abstract in a contextual way because her mother forbids her from returning to Iran.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree and relate to your passion and love for animation. Persepolis, like many other animations, can uniquely touch on dark topics with aspects that cannot be mimicked through live action. This presentation of a topic as devastating as the Iranian Revolution in a film using animation showcases the fact that animation is a sophisticated art form that should not be strictly limited to children. As you pointed out similarly to the "dark" look on the face of the children, animation allows characters to express emotions that would look strange and comedic in reality.
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