Persepolis

Filmmakers Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi collaborated to co-write and co-direct this adaptation of Satrapi's bestselling autobiographical graphic novel detailing the trials faced by an outspoken Iranian girl who finds her unique attitude and outlook on life repeatedly challenged during the ...more

Animation is often the most effective way to tell a satirical story. Just look at The Simpsons or Family Guy and their spot-on ability to fuse gut-busting laughs with searing sarcastic commentary about society, culture, and government. Persepolis isn't a cut and dry animated satire; it's a rich film that artfully twists many genres into one, fusing coming-of-age autobiographical material with reminiscences about a political revolution as seen through the eyes of a young, impressionable, and ...more

Over the course of the 20th century, the thematic scope offered by mainstream animated features in the U.S. remained sorely restricted. Few will debate the historical importance or artistic merit of Walt Disney's contributions to the animated form, but consider also the strict limitations ushered in by his creations, such as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, and more so by the creations of Disney's successors, such as Walter Lantz and Don Bluth. On a cultural level, these artists inadvertently tied ...more