How does one judge a film that one has read as a book? We know the story of the little girl and her family in Iran during the 70's and the 80's. But what the two directors are able to bring to the movie is a certain sense of community and the several layers of life which I felt the book lacked.
The best scenes visually are the war scenes, groups running out during an air raid and also when the protagonist's uncle treks across the country to escape arrest. Although in black and white, these scenes come alive and actually complement the original art work in the graphic novel. The sound design and music actually work here. That said in term of writing I enjoyed the "Punk is not ded" scene where the little girl cooks up a story of her evil step mother to escape the moral police.
The most endearing character is the grandmother who often refers to how the society was when she was young. The funny thing is that she is always claims that during earlier times people (in Iran) were more open minded. This is in direct contrast to arguments in the West who see any history as a progress towards a more open society. I have often felt that in the last ten years our societies have become more conservative and boring compared to the 90's.
The problem with the film is the same as the book. The history of a nation cannot be judged through the eyes of one person. Often such stories exaggerate the pain that a small group went through and force us to pass judgment on the country or its people based on those emotions.
There is a scene in the film where a woman has to go to a hospital administrator to ask permission to take her husband out of the country for an operation. She realizes that this is her former window cleaner and is horrified but she pretends not to recognize him. But since she has to plead her case with him she is very angry. This is a typical middle class reaction to political changes in society. They just cannot accept the fact that "illiterate" or "lower class" people can take over power and choose for others. Something the elites have been doing for centuries and created a problem in the first place.
One last point. The two times the protagonist steps into Europe the film turns into colour. After all the good stuff in black & white that just did not work for me.
The best scenes visually are the war scenes, groups running out during an air raid and also when the protagonist's uncle treks across the country to escape arrest. Although in black and white, these scenes come alive and actually complement the original art work in the graphic novel. The sound design and music actually work here. That said in term of writing I enjoyed the "Punk is not ded" scene where the little girl cooks up a story of her evil step mother to escape the moral police.
The most endearing character is the grandmother who often refers to how the society was when she was young. The funny thing is that she is always claims that during earlier times people (in Iran) were more open minded. This is in direct contrast to arguments in the West who see any history as a progress towards a more open society. I have often felt that in the last ten years our societies have become more conservative and boring compared to the 90's.
The problem with the film is the same as the book. The history of a nation cannot be judged through the eyes of one person. Often such stories exaggerate the pain that a small group went through and force us to pass judgment on the country or its people based on those emotions.
There is a scene in the film where a woman has to go to a hospital administrator to ask permission to take her husband out of the country for an operation. She realizes that this is her former window cleaner and is horrified but she pretends not to recognize him. But since she has to plead her case with him she is very angry. This is a typical middle class reaction to political changes in society. They just cannot accept the fact that "illiterate" or "lower class" people can take over power and choose for others. Something the elites have been doing for centuries and created a problem in the first place.
One last point. The two times the protagonist steps into Europe the film turns into colour. After all the good stuff in black & white that just did not work for me.
