The French-Iranian film, Persepolis, is based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. Released in May 2007, the success of this animated film brought to light the tensions encountered by a girl coming of age during the Iranian Revolution. It has been acclaimed globally, winning awards at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Golden Globes Awards, and a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards. The story of the hardships of a rebellious, defiant woman growing up in the shadow of the strict Islamic government is only one example of French contemporary cinema evoking a sense of strong feminism.
In this essay, portrayals of women in French contemporary cinema will be discussed, with a focus on the film Persepolis. In addition the trend of strong women protagonists in contemporary French cinema will also be highlighted. While there is a definite presence of feminism in Marjane Satrapi’s story, the French trend is not the 1960’s feminist movement in America (Barsam). Rather, movies such as La Vie en Rose and Amélie, point this trend to the retelling of the women’s side of the story- with a dash of feminism and certain advancement in film techniques and editing.
The movie Persepolis begins with Marjane Satrapi smoking an oh-so-French cigarette in the airport debating her boarding of a plane to Iran. The majority of the movie is told in black and white flashbacks as Marjane recalls the memories that led her to that very seat in the airport. Her happy childhood saw “the fall of the Shah, the Iranian revolution of 1979 that brought the Ayatollah Khomeini to power and the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war. (Walker E3)” The execution of a close uncle who was heavily involved in the freedom of the country, instilled a strong defiant nature in Marjane, as well as the support of her family and the instability of the society she grows up in. As the Iranian society grew strict in its rules for modesty of women and bans on Western media, Marjane continually clashes with her authorities, and her family finds it best to send her to a boarding school in Vienna, Austria. There, Marjane is again confronted with issues of being the odd one out. Finding it difficult to find real friends, and again clashing with the nuns at her boarding school, Marjane begins to jump from place to place leading her into a downward spiral of bad relationships and finally leaving her at the very lowest of social orders, living on the streets of Vienna. She finally calls home, and returns to Iran, with the promise that her family will not ask her what happened in Vienna. As a young woman, she experiences another culture shock as she is thrust back into the repressive society of Iran, and while much of the fighting had finally calmed down, the stains of repression of the Iranian government are still very present. She falls into depression, further pushed by anti-depressant pills that only worsen her state. She reaches her low, gets her act back together and starts studying art. Her unrelenting rebellious nature prompts a marriage advised by her mother to prevent the suspicious eyes of the police force. A year later, her unhappiness returns with an unsatisfied marriage. She attends a secret party that is raided by the police. In their chase to capture the attendees, a friend is killed. Marjane’s limit is tipped. She divorces her husband, and with the support of her family and close grandmother, she decides to leave Iran for good. She becomes an expatriate living France. Her story ends, as the screen returns to her seat in the airport, with a plane ticket to Iran that she does not use (Persall 12W).
Because this movie was animated it is hard to apply some of the concepts learned throughout this semester to this movie. Dutch angles are used heavily, as are many medium shots. However, a greater knowledge of specific elements of movie animation would allow a better evaluation of this film’s editing techniques.
In animated films, sound and its use on screen seems to be especially important, with particular emphasis on diegetic sounds. For instance, a scene of Marjane running away might be accompanied by a loud “whoosh” or the heavy thuds as her feet fall on the ground. The emphasis of diegetic sounds seems to be a common trait in animated films and works almost too well with this film that was based on a graphic novel.
Marjane’s powerful story told in animation holds elements of traditional French cinema. In loose definition, it is a new wave story because animation is not a widely used form for movies targeted at adult audiences. The austerity of Marjane’s story told through animation proves that this form of media can be used for older audiences. The majority of the film is in black and white, emphasizing the true origins of the story in the graphic autobiographical novel. In addition, shadow theater is heavily used throughout the film, reclaiming French origins of theater and cinema.
Marjane’s westernization is complete with the backdrop of songs that are just as defiant as she is and that support elements of globalization in this film. Iggy Pop and Iron Maiden pave her coming of age story, in the most unlikely way, when her music is banned and she meets another clash with the police.
The political assumptions and statements made throughout the movie did not sit well with the Iranian government, and it has been highly criticized, especially in Middle Eastern countries. Lebanon completely banned the movie in its opening months, and Iranian officials protested the Cannes Film Festival’s decision to acknowledge the movie for the Jury Prize in 2007 (which it later won) (London).
One of the most critical scenes in the movie is when Marjane recuperates from her depression, picks up her life, and her rebellious nature returns. At this point, “Eye of the Tiger” is cleverly used as a song largely recognized for its “fight till you die” allusions. This seemed to be an exceptionally feminist evoking scene, and it is interesting that this was a scene largely emphasized in the promotion of the film. However, there begs an argument in the ending of the story as it does not necessarily end with Marjane’s success or happiness. Instead, the ending of this movie is bittersweet, as Marjane realizes that the state of affairs in Iran is something she cannot fight alone and has to accept for the time being. In this way, the film is approaching a well-known story from a women’s point of view, not necessarily a feminist.
In this day and age, modern portrayals of women span over every role. French cinema is no exception, as it holds the title of the birthplace of film itself. However the recent international successes of movies like Persepolis, Amélie, and La Vie en Rose point that strong female protagonists are becoming a trend. Furthermore, the recent installment of the first French woman president poses another interesting note.
The global success of Amélie (2001) paved the success of these films. The quirky story of Amélie cannot necessarily be called a romantic comedy. Instead, half of the movie was in-depth look at her peculiar life, connecting audiences to her point of view, before even introducing her love interest. (Waxman C1)
In that respect, contemporary French cinema has found a place for these strong woman protagonists and crossed the border with the success of these films. It has reached audiences on a national and global level. Marjane’s story is of the battle between her beloved country, Iran, and the Westernization that brings to light the injustices in her country. It is a story of a fight between nationality and globalization, and her final acceptance of both.
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