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Persepolis

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Animated coming-of-age tale is poignant, mature.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–15

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Marjane tries to keep her grandmother's promise to be true to herself and to honor her roots despite all the changes going on around her.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Several characters die, either by firing squad, public hanging, or falling while running from the police. Blood is depicted as black, oozing from a shadowy/black figure. Other scenes portray bombings, revolutionary battles, and dead victims.
  • Sex:

    Marjane kisses and hugs a couple of characters and catches a boyfriend in bed with another young woman. She admits that she's not virgin and tells her virgin friends back home that sex is good depending on the guy. Marjane's mother reveals that since it's illegal to execute a virgin, unmarried female prisoners are forced to marry soldiers and have `their virginity taken` first.
  • Language:

    Language includes `bastard,` `s--t,` `dick,` and `ass` (dialogue is in French with English subtitles).
  • Consumerism:

    Bruce Lee poster, Bee Gees album, Iron Maiden album, the song `Eye of the Tiger.`
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A suicidal Marjane takes a lot of pills, and Marjane and her parents attend secret parties where the adults tend to get drunk. As a teenager, Marjane drinks and smokes cigarettes and pot/hash. She also drinks and smokes cigarettes as an adult.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Persepolis was written by Sandie Angulo Chen

Parents need to know that although this film -- an adaptation of graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi's critically acclaimed memoir about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution -- is animated, it's aimed at adults. There are many references to the atrocities (mostly executions and bombings) of life before, during, and after the revolution. Several scenes involve secret parties during which secular Iranians drink and smoke; as a teenager living in Europe, Marjane also drinks, smokes, tries hash, and sleeps with two guys (at one point, feeling suicidal, she also takes lots of pills). If teens are interested, they'll learn a lot about the harsh realities of life in an oppressive culture. It's worth noting that there are two versions of the film: The original is in French with subtitles; the other is dubbed in English.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how "the West" is portrayed in the film. Why is American pop culture banned in Iran? What makes it threatening? How is Marjane's family different? How does Marjane "betray" her heritage once she's abroad? What did you learn about Iranian history and culture from the film? Do you think that animation was an effective way to tell Marjane's story? How would it have been different if it was live action?
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More on Persepolis

What’s the Story?

Based on writer-director Marjane Satrapi's award-winning graphic novel, PERSEPOLIS closely follows her life as she comes of age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Narrated by Chiara Mastroianni as the adult Marjane, the alternatingly funny and heartbreaking story chronicles how Marjane's immediate family kept their ideals under increasingly oppressive regimes.

Is It Any Good?

Like Art Spiegelman's seminal Holocaust-themed graphic novel Maus, Persepolis explains history from the point of view of one family, and in particular, Marjane herself -- from grade-schooler to young adult. The secular, educated Satrapis survive as loved ones are imprisoned, tortured, and executed -- first under the Shah and later under the Islamic revolutionaries. Throughout the years, Marjane is drawn to Western popular culture from Bruce Lee and Bee Gees to Iron Maiden and the Rocky III anthem "Eye of the Tiger" -- even though it's forbidden to own any unapproved books or music.

Marjane's grounding force is her rebellious grandma (voiced by Danielle Darrieux), who makes the girl promise not to lose sight of her family's progressive beliefs and the reasons why her beloved uncle and countless others have died. But sometimes Marjane can't help acting tad immature -- even reckless. That's what makes the film so touching: Amid cultural repression, Marjane, her family, and their close friends still manage to find small ways to subvert authority. And thanks to the regular doses of adolescent humor, this distinctly Iranian tale becomes a universal story anyone can appreciate.

Movie Details

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics, Director: Marjane Satrapi
Run time: 120 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/25/2007, DVD release: 6/24/2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content.

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    I am a 10 year old girl. I love this movie. Last night I stayed up to watch it. I have been watching it with my 7 year old brother since 2008. I love this movie.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    A great film! Wow, that heading, sucks

    If you let your kids watch any movie just because it's animated, then you're ridiculous. Think I'm lying? Just watch this. This is a challenging, yet rewarding film mainly set in Iran, focusing on the author, Marjane Satrapi's childhood, teendom, and adulthood. The film doesn't shy away from the important political and moral issues surrounding these issues, but it's all the better for that reason. In conclusion, this film may be a bit hard to swallow at times, and is definitely not a kids' film, but it is still great.

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on and give it 5.0

    A great movie worth watching

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title iffy and give it 5.0

    graet movie!!!!!

    It's a great animation, but not for young kids.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on and give it 4.0

    Great Animated Movie

    Persepolis is interesting in its description of war through a child's eyes. Its a great movie and the animation is cool.

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