Screening Report 8: Iran: Persepolis

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Prior to watching Persepolis in class, we discussed the current state of the country of Iran and how its past effected where they are as a country now. It's war-ridden history played a big part in where they are today, as well as its western ideologies. This relates back to Iran's view on western music, because Marjane was a person of her own, listening to music and wearing clothing that she knew was looked down upon by most of her country. 

2) Find a related article and summarize the content. 

In A.O. Scott's review of Persepolis, he specifically focused on the role of the female characters in the film. Them being Marjane, along with her mother and grandmother. He mentions the matriarchal power, which was rare at the time, and the effect it had on Marjane's character by the end of the film. 

"Ms. Darriuex's grandma is the sturdy matriarchal anchor of "Persepolis", a source of humor, advice and moral guidance for young Marjane, and also an embodiment of the film's no-nonsense feminism. Like her grandmother, Marjane is a natural rebel, someone who takes freedom as her birthright and dares the world to challenge her." 

Marjane grows up in a family of intellectuals who suffer first under the Shah's dictatorship and then, turn on their allies under the rule of mullahs. This political history is conveyed with impressive economy and visual wit. 

 3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. 

I definitely agree with the points Scott made about the strong focus on the role of female characters and the power of matriarchal influence on young women. I like how he mentioned that Marjane went against the forces of intolerance and superstition, and following her grandmother's example, takes a stand as a champion of enlightenment. While he focused on the matriarchal influence, he also mentioned the slight role of patriarchy as well. When bother Marjane's mother and father send her to Austria, where she experiences alienation. The choice was essentially up to her though, she could either be more or less "free" in Austria and give up her home, or she can return home at the cost of her freedom and individuality. 

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion,  formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material, and the article. 

Not being a huge fan of animated films, I at first thought the film was a bit odd. But as it progressed, I began to appreciate it and see the historical importance and context it was portraying. The animation of it is done very well, as I don't think I've ever seen an animated film quite like it. The facial expressions and movements they were able to give the characters were amazing, especially the way it was able to create images of war. Marjane is a great example of a powerful female anime character in a film, which I have not seen much of before. 

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 
1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( xx ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: _Cameron Beall_____________________________________  Date: ______5/9/18______________________