Persepolis. A great film based on a great book. The book is a black and white graphic novel (that is it is like a comic book). It is amazing to me how the filmmakers somehow did a very original job even though basing it on a previously written book. The writer was one of the filmmakers, so she managed to reinvent her book to suit film. She knew enough to realize that she would have to reinvent it, not simply put it in the form of the film. Who would have ever thought that simple black and white illustrations could be that expressive?
Questions I have: What do you think about the decision of the parents to send away their 14, 15 year old daughter? The heroine clearly admires her Communist uncle. What do you think of him? Marjane is clearly a fiery personality. What do you think of her? How does the movie portray the Iranian revolution? These are the questions we will be talking about on Monday.