Persepolis: The Film

Every story must have a conflict; whether it is a movie, poem, short story, or novel, a conflict must be present in hopes of making a memorable outcome. In the graphic novel, Persepolis, there are a plethora of conflicts evident. It is apparent there is a conflict between Marjane and society, but it is this conflict that really fuses the most important one: Marjane vs herself. All of the events she encounters within the novel are ultimately fueling this conflict she is having with herself about who she is within the worlds she lives. Society drives her desire to be this self-proclaimed activist. During the novel, she loses herself to the status quo in which she lives many times, but it proves to only be a struggle she must overcome in the ultimate road to figuring out who she will be. It is her relationships and the places in which she resides that help to form this resolution. In the novel, she grows (whether she knows it at the time) from looking back on who she was when she was with certain infividuals. She grows from meeting different obstacles while trying to find a place to live, a place to call an actual home away from home.

The film lacks these crucial details while trying to create the overall resolution of Marji determining who she is. I felt as if the outcome was meant to be the same, but by no means was the audience given the tools to get there. The film jumped from scene to scene without filling in the blanks. For instance, in two minutes we were shown the different places in which she lived without really getting any idea about how they added to her own personal knowledge of the world. When her mother comes to visit, it is a great scene within the book. She finds comfort to carry on once more. We aren't given this in the film, and thus, it feels as if she just moves along without any conflicts guiding her next move. The novel inspired me, the film left me with a void.

The novel was written in hopes of showing readers that one cannot judge another based on the sole actions of that person's government. Did the novel successfully create this message? Definitely. It was apparent after reading the novel that the Iranian government was fully to blame for the violence and hate that the entire nation so often gets accused of. In the film, it seemed as if the parents were not radical and the people were uninspired to prove they were not who their government created them to be. I felt the message was definitely lost in the transition from words to film.