Reflection on Persepolis

When a story is presented both in a novel and as a film, various individuals have different preferences due to the way they process the information in their minds. Some prefer the film while other understand the idea better when they read the novel. Persepolis, an autobiographical masterpiece of Marjane Satrapi is one of the comic stories presented both in film and as a novel. Although both them are supposed to convey the same information, the viewer of the film as well the reader of the graphic novel get distinct messages. Thus, the paper is aimed at depicting the differences that can emerge in the minds of the viewer and the reader of the graphic novel in the process of its perception.

Although the tone and approach of the film are similar to that of the graphic novel, there is a disparity in the messages the author tried to pass. The readers of the novel get the dramatic story of Marji Satrapi while the viewers of the film are informed of the Iran history. Following the novel, the readers see the details of the life whereas the viewers of the film can be able to relate to the politics and revolution in Iran. The film overlooks a lot of personal details of Marji, for example the scene of her mother’s visit when she was living with a bad company of homosexuals is omitted in the film, but in the graphic novel, it contributes to her state of mind. Furthermore, the readers of the novel get the story of Marji as a child as well as in adolescence leading to womanhood.

The readers of Persepolis book are fooled with the death of Momo; in contrast, the viewers of the film find Marji dancing with him during a concert. The viewers in this scene are made to believe that Marji is disconnecting from the culture of Iran through the participation in such dances and concerts. She also claims to be from France when in prison to gain her freedom. The two incidences describe the hardships faced by the Iranians in Europe during those days, but it made the viewers believe that she was comfortable with the change of her identity.

The viewers of the film, therefore, did not understand the emotional anguish the woman experienced when she denounced her origin immediately. They understood it after Marji left the prison when they saw her shadow walking in the streets followed by another one, which was her grandmother’s. The grandmother’s shadow acts as a reminder that she should always be true to herself. Although it is not a historical event, it gives Marji an urge to return to Iran since her time is limited in Europe. This scene helps the viewers to understand Marji further in the film though in the novel the readers have a clearer comprehension of her emotions than that depicted in the film.

Despite the differences, the reader of the novel and the viewer of the film can observe some similarities. Particularly, the use of graphic narratives in the novel that are in black and white helps the readers to connect with the historic hard times. The film is an animated without any actual actor and scenes are presented as they are in the book with most of the characters being the same. The better part of the film is in black and white, which is a representation of the historical events.

Personally, I enjoyed the story presented in the version of the graphic novel more than the one in the film because the novel is detailed. Besides, it uses both historic events and Marji’s personal experiences to portray the effects of Iranian revolution. As a reader, when I see the cartoon characters in black and white, it becomes easy to relate to the narration. The images that have more weight are minute to direct the attention of the reader to the specific thought.

When Marji was talking about the soldiers that were killed during the war, she lowered the pace of the narrative. She explained how they died with the keys hanged on their neck. The readers are able to see the expected hope from the images of the soldiers that were killed when the mines exploded. The use of symbolic statements such as “the key to paradise was for the poor” helps the reader to ponder over the deceased in the war and during the revolution. Thus, the reader can see that these soldiers died an honorable death in their sight since their focus was on gaining freedom of the country.

However, the image of the party that follows after this horrible scene contradicts the mind of the readers. It is believed that the dancers are celebrating because they are desperate to cause distraction from the suspicious state in the country. The novel portrays numerous images to show hope in the desperate situation. Again, the narrative speed is increased to capture the attention of the reader, something that is not in the film.

In conclusion, the relationship of a viewer to the film and a reader to the graphic novel Persepolis are similar and distinct in several ways. There are differences in the way the information is presented in the novel and the way it is depicted in the film. The novel tends to provide the details on the personal life of Marji while the film is more focused on the politics during the Iranian revolution and war. Therefore, the novel is more detailed as compared to the film although both of them use black and white images, a representation of the past. I personally prefer novel to the movie because it captures nuances that are not seen in the film.

The article was written by professional writer Olivia Adamson, if you want to see more visit freshessay writing service.