The Persepolis film was more livelier than the book,
although the book provided a more solid foundation for describing Marjane's
life. The film provides a much more darker and intense atmosphere, while adding
bits of humor - such as when Marjane's grandmother covers up Marjane's eyes
from watching a dinosaur eating people in the movie theater, (which the book
doesn't include) to mellow out the tension. In addition to adding suspense with
the music and voice, the film changes certain scenes in the book that emphasize
the intensity. For example, in the Neda Baba-Levy scene, whereas the book only
shows the bracelet sticking out amongst the house remains, the film shows the
wrist with the bracelet. The film also places the audience right in the
scene, such as when Uncle Taher dies; we are placed in the hospital scene,
which helps us to "be right in the moment" and stirs up more emotions
than when we read the book. In addition, the film seems to show Reza as a man
with more power in his marriage with Marjane, than in the book, where they both
seem to have equal power (in the film, Reza turns up the music volume when
Marjane tries to ask him where the car keys are - highlighting the great
difference in "women power" between the film and the book, where Marjane
is victimized in the "car key" situation, as Reza watching a violent
television show (with the man and the gun) that shows his inner emotions). The
book emphasizes Western values more than in the film, and shows more cultural
tension than in the film (for example, Marjane doesn't cut her hair in the
film, which shows her still being "intact" with her Iranian
identity). Both the film and the book emphasize how the war affects the lives
of Iranian citizens (fear of authority, partying indoors during the war, etc.).
Although the movie engages the audience better (with the music and voices, that
make the story come more to life), the book is much more informational and
flows smoother, which makes it better for telling the story (the book does a
better job for highlighting Marjane's step-by-step growth in developing her
identity, such as how it shows her resolving her western-eastern cultural
tension, which the film lacks).
Good point on how the book does a better job on telling the story by going step-by-step growth in developing Marji's identity. The film skipped some experiences Marji went through which makes me feel like there's no depth in her story.
ReplyDeleteThis is true, the film did show emotion and tension when something happened. For example, when Marji's uncle was in jail it was emotional due to the music. In the novel, as a reader you knew it was sad but it wasn't emotional because there was no music to convey those emotions. It was moments like those that pulled a string on the emotional side, but the film did not do justice when it came to the dangers of the revolution and the Islamic regime.
ReplyDeleteYou are right on point with this response. The movie had a lot more life to it, and that seems largely to be a result of the music and voice acting. There is this whole new dimension of the experience which we did not have before, and that sort of changes the way we percieve the story. Even though the stories Marjane tells is the book and the movie are the same, the way the story is told varies significantly. Also, the film had to focus more on the key elements, because there was not as much time to discuss the various detours that Marjane brings us down in the book.
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