Persepolis was originally a comic book (you can see how much the original text influenced the subsequent aesthetic here); this throws up interesting questions about authorship and offers possibilities for a discussion about the relative merits of auteur-based and genre-based critical frameworks. (The same might be said about Sin City or 300 - or, indeed, most of the superhero movies.)

Critically well received, it was heavily criticised , though very popular, in Marjane Strapani's homeland, Iran. See here also for an account of the claims of Islamophobia aimed at the film. Obviously, we need to consider what exactly was so offensive about the film and, less obviously, whether the criticisms are in any way justified. Is it relevant that it was partly funded by France, a country which has had a high level of discord between its Islamic minority and other groups?

Why is it an animation? Does animation carry semiotic weight? Does the form of animation itself, in other words, communicate or 'mean' something to the audience? Can you explain this using the language of Saussurian (or Pierceian) semiotics?

FILM EDUCATION RESOURCES

IRANIAN FILM

Interview with Dr Lina Khatib about Persepolis' place in Iranian cinema

'Persepolis is more harmful than 300'

GCSE Textual Analysis Exam Practice

Watch this extract from 'Persepolis'. Choose two of the following areas and discuss them. (Approx 20 mins)

• REPRESENTATION
• PALETTE
• NARRATIVE
• GENRE
• SOUNDTRACK
• IDEOLOGY
• AUDIENCE
  

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