Persepolis

Respond to the screening in 1-2 paragraphs. You may include what interested you, impacted you, or how your perspective on ME politics changed after watching the film.

8 thoughts on “Persepolis

  1. Kennedy Mugo

    The movie did an excellent job in showing the gender roles in pre-revolution Iran and post-revolution. We notice that the older generation is more liberal and open minded about social issues. For example when the Iranian girl is stressing to her grandmother about the possibility of getting divorce, the grandmother, surprisingly, tells her to go ahead with it. She retorts, “ the second time is always better than the first.” The movie also depicts the happenings in the cracking down of alcohol and drugs in private spaces as we saw in the scene where police invaded a leading to the death of one of the revelers while trying to evade arrest.
    This scene is contrary to what we read… the ayatollah said that private spaces should be protected, as it is “ungodly” for authorities to invade these spheres.

    1. Kennedy Mugo

      The movie did an excellent job in showing the gender roles in pre-revolution Iran and post-revolution. We notice that the older generation is more liberal and open minded about social issues. For example when the Iranian girl is stressing to her grandmother about the possibility of getting divorce, the grandmother, surprisingly, tells her to go ahead with it. She retorts, “ the second time is always better than the first.” The movie also depicts the happenings in the cracking down of alcohol and drugs in private spaces as we saw in the scene where police invaded a house leading to the death of one of the revelers while trying to evade arrest.
      This scene is contrary to what we read… the ayatollah said that private spaces should be protected, as it is “ungodly” for authorities to invade these spheres.

  2. Catherine Gordon

    I really enjoyed the film Persepolis. I think it provided an interesting look into the emotional struggles of an Iranian girl during and after the Iranian Revolution, and the difficulties of trying to express herself and develop her identity in Iranian society. It was interesting for me to see how the daily lives of Iranians are affected by the rules of the regime, and the affect international sanctions have on the population. I thought the artistic aspects of the film were really well done, although I did find the fact that it was in French, rather than Farsi, a little bit distracting. While it was interesting to witness Marjane’s time spent abroad, I also would have like to see the events of the revolution from the perspective of someone who remained in Iran. In all, I thought the film presented me with a different point of view and made me think about the affects of authoritarian regimes on the lives of their citizens.

  3. Sydney Fuqua

    Persepolis provided an interesting look at the emotional struggles involved in the Iranian Revolution. As a young girl Marjane wanted to be the next great prophet. Her idealistic view and actions provided comic relief against the seriousness of the violence surrounding her. Her desire to see Iran more open and free is underscored by a sense of naivete. As she marches around chanting “Down with the Shah!” you cannot help but laugh at her and think that she does not quite understand entirely what is happening. As endearing as her antics are then, it is hard not to be disturbed by her leading the other children in an attempt to beat up another child. Contrasted with her later disillusionment, Marjane’s changes in viewpoint coincide with the progression of Iranians from hope to frustration as the Shah falls and is replaced with the Islamic government. Marjane’s story highlighted how the Revolution affected the lives of normal Iranians and their struggle to adapt from one oppressive regime to another.

    I also found the separation between the public and private lives interesting. Instead of changing how people in Iran behaved, the regime’s dictates just pushed certain types of behavior underground. Persepolis was a great example of what Sciolino’s chapter “Leaving the Islamic Republic at the Door” described. The attempts to adapt to the new regime were quite creative. At the same time, the lack of governmental control over the police made it easy to pay them off. The ability to pay off police makes the dichotomy even more pronounced. I enjoyed the movie’s depiction of the dichotomy and how it showed the emotional progression of the characters.

  4. Edwin Merino

    Persepolis is a great film and fascinated me because of the use of illustrations to depict an interesting and sad story. What I liked about it was how political and social events can effect and change one person’s experience and family so much. What struck me most was the idea of identity in the film and the struggles Marjane had to deal with in terms of identifying as Iranian abroad. It is interesting how so much time away from Iran had created nostalgia of her homeland, but when she came back she no longer felt at home as though her homeland had changed. It is sad that ultimately she couldnt stay with the ones she loved and the place she called home.

    The excitement for revolution by the family was quickly dashed by the repressive techniques still used to this day. The moral police and the constant surveillance are things that many who supported the republic and revolution in the early days certainly did not believe in. Those who control the government have created a theocracy based on social control and mistrust of foreigners, especially the west. Although the intervention by the United States and other western powers in Iran definitely helped the legitimacy of such ideas, the U.S. should not exacerbate the problems with hostile and intransigent attitudes toward the regime. Sanctions and calls for intervention from politicians do nothing to help the situation and further legitimize the theocratic regime. Change must come from dialogue and must be seen as a movement from within Iran, a situation that is very likely considering the protests in the 2009 elections.

  5. Sylvana Chan

    I’ve read the Persepolis comic as a kid, so I was already prepared for what the movie would be like. Watching it now, however, made more of an impact on me than it had when I was younger. I know a little more about the history and background politics of Iran to appreciate the political issues Marjane Satrapi addresses in the film.

    I’d have to respectfully disagree with Nejla on one point though: I feel that the movie helps highlight Iran’s unique political development and deepens my understanding of the current situation in the country. I don’t think it can be replaced with any other political setting. Satrapi does a great job showing day-to-day examples of repression (the many headscarf confrontations; the close calls with alcohol and secret parties; the punk outfit incident; the encounters with government officials/morality police). I do agree with Nejla, however, that Satrapi definitely has a very distinct perspective on the 1979 revolution. Her family is much more liberal, Western-educated, and secular than the religious leaders that took control of Iran. Her uncle, after all, was communist–a far cry from the strict piety of the regime. Although there are probably many individuals in Iran that resent the radicalism of the Iranian regime as Satrapi does, we must keep in mind that this is only one perspective of one individual.

    Some of our readings, for example, show that there were many people that DID support Khomeini’s regime. Although Satrapi’s family clearly appreciated a more modern, secular life, there HAD to be people that supported Khomeini’s vision of an Islamic Republic. These problems are also widespread in the MENA region today: grassroots Islamist parties are standing up to the repressive secular regimes. The Arab Spring of 2011 demonstrates that these issues are not unique to Iran (although Iran is the most prominent example). MENA countries are becoming more and more religious/radicial. Whether this is a good or bad things remains to be seen.

  6. William Mackey

    Persepolis, I think, is a fantastic film. It shows what life in Iran is like–not through a military guy’s eyes or an imam’s–but through a young girl’s. For me at least, it is all to easy to forget that Iran (or for that matter, most other ME countries) is not just populated by its public/political figures. Normal people, with the same wants and needs as us, live there too. With that in mind, sanctions against Iran seem ridiculous–indeed because they are. What do they accomplish (as Zach asked in class a few days ago)? I cannot think of anything. Yes, they maybe the only tool in the US arsenal at the moment that America can use against Iran, but that doesn’t mean it should be. Sanctions seem to hurt everyday Iranians more than the regime, and it just creates unnecessary anti-US animosity. Moreover, the regime can blame its issues on US/Western sanctions, rather than being solely responsible for Iran’s economic troubles. Sanctions, too, anger the rest of the ME. In Iraq, sanctions caused a humanitarian disaster, and enraged many ME people. OBL even mentioned the US sanctions against Iraq as justification for his war against America. And did sanctions force Saddam to step down? Certainly not. We had to go in there and forcibly remove him. Worse still, sanctions turn a nation into an international pariah. No one knows what the outcast will do when backed into a corner, and it become even scarier when that country/outcast posses nuclear weapons (which Iran will eventually, whether we like it or nor).

    Lifting sanctions, I think, is actually the best thing the US could do with Iran. It would allow more goods to flow into the country, thereby easing the strain on everyday Iranians. Also, the populace would be exposed to more and more ideas/goods, and contrast them with their current regime. For example, VOA airs a popular TV show, which is making the regime increasingly nervous (http://www.economist.com/node/21536654). Moreover, integrating Iran into the international economic system would force the country to engage with more companies and countries, and undercut the Republican Guard’s stranglehold on the Iranian economy. (Sanctions, in fact, may be helping the Republican Guard more than hurting it in this respect.)

    Some may say that the US cannot deal with a theocratic, messianic state. But does Iran fall into that category? I am not sure. And it has always been difficult to tell, since the US has never seriously tried to engage with the regime as far as I know (holiday greetings notwithstanding). It may be worth a try sometime.

    1. Nejla Calvo

      I have mixed feelings about the film Persepolis. First, I think that the style of graphic novel animation was an insteresting medium for illustrating real-life scenarios. The first thing I noticed is that the characters did not have extremely distinct features, because the comic-book animation was quite simplified. In fact, if I was not aware of the setting of the story, it may have been difficult to initially identify that it was taking place in Iran. In a way this is good and bad, perhaps it connects the experience to a wider (whiter) audience. At the same time, many aspects of this movie did not feel authentically Iranian, for example, that the film was done in French. I don’t believe that I understand the complexities of living in Iran after watching this simplified version of one woman’s perspective. Nonetheless, I respect Marjan Satrapi’s expression of her personal expereinces, and I think that they shed light to fundamental issues that permeate various cultures: freedom, oppression, modernization, Westernization, war, depression, family, loyalty, morality, coming of age, sexuality, genger inequality, etc.

      Persepolis did a great job of documenting the Iranian Revolution in a humanistic manner. It showcased the array of emotions, opinions, and reactions of an Iranian family during the fall of the Shah and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. I can imagine that many young Iranians can identify with the film’s main character as she struggles to maintain her mental health in post-revolutionary Iran and abroad. Yet, I understand why some Iranians may find this movie offensive. In particular, the scene where where Marjane fantasizes conversations with God and Karl Marx. Overall, I appreciate that the film faces hard truths and forces us to think about difficult questions regarding politics, identity, and personal freedom.

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