Persepolis: Film vrs Novel

I have to say that I have become a fan of Persepolis and am interested in reading more works by Marjane Satrapi, however sadly I was let down by the film version of Persepolis. Although I am aware that the film could not possibly be exactly the same as the novel I feel that if I did not read the novel, I would be completely confused about the film. There were some parts of the novel that helped the reader understand Marjane's struggles which made it easier to understand her personality and why she did the things she did. There were also some parts of the movie that felt rushed. In the film her experience in Austria did not seem significant and they seemed to skip over important issues like her low self esteem, drug abuse and experiences within the various homes she stayed at. I think knowing these issues helped the reader understand Marjane's attempted suicide. Whereas if I had not read the novel, I am not sure that I would have even known that she tried to kill herself. Also in the film, the characters other than Marjane and her grandmother seem to have less-than important roles where in the novel, we have the pleasure of "getting to know" each character and how they impact Marjane's life.

Also Marjane's relationship with Reza seemed very quick and insignificant. The movie made it seem as though he came out of nowhere and did not thoroughly show or explain how important he was to Marjane's growth. As mentioned in class, the ending made it seem as if she moved away because she was running away from her past relationship rather than beginning a new journey of self discovery and growth as portrayed in the novel. I am not sure if the focus of the novel and the film was different, but that could be the reason why they seem so different. As mentioned the novel definitely gives a more personal connection with Marjane and her struggles. In defense of the film I will say that it is extremely hard to satisfy both the reader and the film audience of a series. Also it was very nice to take my knowledge of the story and put it with an animated movie. You got to see the story unfold without having to create it from the still images in your head.