A delightful, curious film that indulges in both the personal and the political and provides a potted history of modern Iran through one woman’s experience.
Comment
04/25/08
Persepolis (2007)
96
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:130
Fresh:125
Rotten:5
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Persepolis is an emotionally powerful, dramatically enthralling autobiographical gem, and the film's simple black-and-white images are effective and bold.
Theatrical Release:25-04-2008
Synopsis: NEW YORK PREMIERE AT NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL 2007 (Limited) PERSEPOLIS presents a deeply personal coming-of-age tale about finding one's place in the world. Based on her bestselling graphic... [More]
Reviews for Persepolis
Top CriticSmoky grey backgrounds add layering and depth, while silhouette-work and jerky cardboard-puppet sequences nod humorously at the Arabian Nights tradition.
05/24/07
The monochrome animation is stark and beautiful, and Marjane’s an appealing narrator. Often hilarious, sometimes tragic, this may be low-tech, but it’s high-class.
04/25/08
Top CriticThe predominantly black-and-white animation is used to amusing effect as Satrapi gently pokes fun at her youthful exuberance and innocence, making serious political points easy to swallow. The lack of sense of direction is the film's only let-down.
04/25/08
Top CriticPersepolis makes this most difficult of subjects at once watchable, accesible, and ultimately unforgettable.
04/25/08
Beautifully animated, thoroughly engaging coming-of-age drama that is by turns moving, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny.
11/01/07
A moving, funny, personal yet universal tale of one woman's life growing up amid political turbulence, animated with concise artistry.
04/25/08
Top CriticClick to read the article
10/18/08
Top CriticThe characters are so rich and so human that they transcend the simple animation.The vocal performances also help give the film universal appeal.
01/29/08
Though the film leaves out the subtle and complex political nuances of the book in favor of speed and brevity, it's also a good deal livelier and funnier.
12/20/07
Persepolis is much more than a history lesson; it's also the story of a misunderstood girl -- one who will certainly give Juno MacGuff a run for her money as the year's best teenage heroine.
07/19/07
Animated coming-of-age tale is poignant, mature.
01/29/08
Not to be missed in any language. In a year that has given us such marvelous animated movies as Ratatouille and Paprika, this vibrant, sly and moving personal odyssey takes pride of place.
12/10/07
While not visually explicit, "Persepolis" is an uncompromising look at the culture of Iran as seen by an observant and open-minded child...
01/24/08
A work of art that's light as a feather. A true masterpiece.
12/24/07
Persepolis will prove a worthwhile movie for thoughtful teens. They are likely to discover that their plight may be universal, but their circumstances are always unique. And, oh yeah, the personal is always political.
02/01/08
Told with style and passion, Persepolis is one of the most unique, and moving, animated films ever made.
11/19/07
If Charles M. Schulz's 'Peanuts' cast was transported inside 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,' the visual result might resemble this film...
02/15/08
A strong contender for this year's foreign language film Oscar -- and the only worthy competition for Ratatouille in the animated film category.
12/24/07
You will laugh, you will be moved to tears, and you may even come away thinking the human race might actually survive without killing each other off, because there are stories like [this] to remind us that, deep down, we’re all pretty much the same.
09/08/08
Latest News for Persepolis
June 23, 2008:
RT on DVD: A Killer Sopranos Set; WALL-E Gets a Friend
You thought the Sex and the City DVD collection was expensive? Start saving up for the ultimate Sopranos box set, coming this fall. Also look for a DVD spin-off from last... More...
May 07, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Summer Season Begins With a Bang
Summer box office season began with a bang last Friday, with Iron Man the first of the pumped up, big-budget teen-friendly blockbusters to emerge from the bowels of the... More...
December 25, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Water Horse is Refreshing, Debaters is Great, Juno is Certifed Fresh
This week at the movies, we have galactic monsters (Alien vs Predator: Requiem), ol' Nessie (The Water Horse: The Legend of the Deep), big talkers (The Great Debaters, starring... More...
December 19, 2007:
Marjane Satrapi on Persepolis: The RT Interview (With Exclusive Clips and Photos!)
Through a long series of simple, frank, and frequently funny comic strips, Persepolis author Marjane Satrapi presents her youth and womanhood in modern Iran. The film adaptation... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds