After viewing the film, write a review of the film from a historical perspective. Historians love to critique historical films, but the general public tend to learn a lot about the past from film and television.
Your review should include an introduction, body and conclusion. It must be a minimum of 500 words.
In the introduction, include your assessment or evaluation of the film as a source of historical information. This is your thesis.
Use at least THREE specific scenes from the film as examples to illustrate your assessment.
Remember to include citations where necessary. When quoting the film or referring to a specific scene, include the time stamp of where it is found in the movie. If you fail to include a necessary citation, the paper will lose 1 point.
As always double space (1/2 point deduction if not double spaced).
Review the Film Review Rubric before submitting.
Submit your final copy HERE:
In order to come up with your evaluation/thesis, consider the following questions (you do not have to answer all of them and you should not include answers in a list form):
What is the central topic of this film?
What attitude does the film seem to have towards the former government of the Shah? Is it represented as good or bad or both?
What was Marji’s childhood like? Think about her experience in her family, neighborhood and school. Does anything set Marji’s childhood apart?
Does the film depict the new fundamentalist government in a positive or negative light? Give specific examples from the film to support your answer.
How do Marjane and her family react to the new government? How do they react to the new policies and laws put in place by the government?
Marji and her family do not directly resist the new government through protest or action. Do you think they should have done more to resist or protest against the new social order?
How is the West (and specifically the US) depicted in the film? Think both in terms of politics but also culture.
What impact does the Iran-Iraq war have on daily life in Tehran? How do people, including Marjane’s parents, react?
What happens to Marji when she goes to Vienna? Does she face any problems in Vienna? Why does she eventually return to Iran?
When Marji returns to Tehran from Vienna, what does she do with her life?
The film shows some social and political contradictions and absurdities that result from radical fundamentalist interpretations of Islamic codes. Cite some of these examples from the film
What attitude does the film seem to have towards the new government? Is it represented as good or bad or both?
The New York Times hails Persepolis as “the latest and one of the most delectable examples of a booming postmodern genre: autobiography by comic book.” Why do you think Satrapi chose this format in which to tell her story? How does the film’s format, the fact that it is an animated film, affect the story that is told?
Film Can be found here: https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3412733
