Memoirs and autobiography seem to have become quite popular in the world of comics. At the moment, I’m studying nonfiction in my Creative Writing course, so I’m beginning to find it quite interesting how a graphic novel can lend real life events a fictional dimension. While I don’t care as much for nonfiction in prose form, when it’s done as a comic strip, I tend to find it a lot more interesting. I loved what I’ve read of Maus, and I think that Blankets has to be one of the greatest comics ever made. I enjoy comics as a medium, and so even when they don’t tell stories that aren’t my cup of tea, I can still find some appeal in them. I guess that comics don’t have to be so literal when it comes to nonfiction, because they can make use of visual metaphors, or present a stylised version of real world that reflects how the writer perceives things.
Persepolis doesn’t take as many liberties as Blankets or Maus, but it’s does make use of some wonderful, stylised illustrations, all in black and white. Simplistic and stylish, Persepolis actually contains some of my favourite comic book art, and I’d love to see more strips done in a similar way. It kind of reminds me of Black Hole, but more rough and less detailed. I have to admit that not all of the art in it is expertly-drawn or anything, but it does improve a lot as the story goes on, which I think is intentional. Persepolis begins with Marjane as a young girl, and ends with her as a grown woman. The chapters at the beginning are a lot more cartoony, with less depth, but as Marjane matures, so does the artwork. Once she enters her teenage years (my favourite part at the moment; when I was younger, I liked the bits with her as a child, but I don’t really relate to those as much any more), things start looking noticeably slicker. I guess you could describe it as Peanuts or Tintin with a slightly noir feel.
I don’t know an awful lot about politics, or about other countries. I don’t even know anything about my own country. (It’s green…I think.) For this reason, Persepolis could have easily been completely inaccessible to me, but its sense of humour and more personal perspective on things prevented all of that. While most of the political stuff went over my head (I’m stupid), I still think I learned at least something from it, without the comic being educational or anything silly like that.
Ooh, an Einsturzende Neubauten reference!
The animated adaptation is equally good, though it unfortunately leaves out a few of my favourite moments. It’s interesting how, like with a work of fiction, Satrapi’s account of her own life had to be altered in some ways to better fit the medium of film. Fact and fiction are sometimes a little hard to distinguish from one another. The artwork in the film is even better than in the original comic; everything looks a lot more fluid and polished, and I love how they make use of its striking silhouettes and thick, black lines. Marjane’s grandmother is also given a lot more screen time, with more attention given to their relationship, and while the story loses the symmetry of the comics (Persepolis was originally released in two parts, each of which ended in a way that mirrored the other- another creative use of reality to craft an interesting story), it’s well-written, with a poignant conclusion. Also, there’s a hilarious scene where we get to hear Marjane (or at least, the actor portraying her) sing. Rather badly.
Graphic novel: 4/5.
Film: 4/5
The Hawkline Monster 