Persepolis: More Is Not Better
I would be arguing how the translation from the film “Persepolis,” by Marjane Satrapithe and Vincent Parannaud, remains very traditional to the original text version of the book “Persepolis,” by Marjane Satrapithe.
To prove my thesis correct I will be analyzing and determining what and why certain things were excluded, and others included from the translation from text to film. The main topics remain true as it’s translated, all the way from her childhood to her early adult life and I will discuss how what is not included in the film does not alter the gist of the story, but rather, simply removes some of the fluff, while focusing more intently on the main plot, in this case, Marjane. The topics I will focusing on are as follows:
- For the 5 points reading tools: I will be employing the Characters, the Plot, the Narration, and Themes/Symbols.
For the characters: I will talk about how Marjane’s maid and the love affair with her neighbor is completely missing from the film, seen in chapter 5 of “The Letter.” I will also mention the absence of Marjane’s boyfriend, Markus, as he is also excluded from the film. Lastly, I will mention the women in the chapter called “The Jewels” that speak ill of their own people and how they’re not mentioned in the film. I might also talk about the driver at the very end of the movie, as he is not seen in the text.
For the Plot: I would be mentioning how the text opens up with “The Veil”, whereas the film opens up with Marji seen at an airport. I will also talk about the ending, where, in the movie, we see Marji in a cap with the driver asking where she’s from, and she replies “Iran”. I am mentioning this, because the text does not have this ending. Also, we see color in this last scene, which I will mention its significance. I might also incorporate the mother visiting marji in Austria, where it is not included in the film. I will make the case that excluding this in the film did not change the message of it, as the audience still understood her daughter was not doing well as an independent with all her addiction problems and homelessness she was experiencing. Again, it’s adding details, but details can be removed, while still retaining the main essence of what’s being said.
For the Narration: The text is narrated by Marji herself, whereas the movie is focused on Marji’s story. This distinction makes it so that Marji becomes more of a focal point, so the cutting of irrelevant characters and scenes to accentuate Marji’s presence in the movie is optimal.
- For the Exchange Concepts: I will use redemption.
Redemption: I will focus on the scene where Marji first denies her identity, claiming she is French and later redeems herself by saying how she is “proud to be Iranian”. I will focus on how this scene feels and hits differently from the text to the film and how the translation not only remains traditional, but is more impactful in the film with all of the sound and visual editing.
- For FIlm Concepts: I will use color and backlighting
Color: I will focus on the color being black and white and how that alters the audience’s perception of the original text. How black and white might represent, for example memories and flashbacks. I will also mention how the last scene we see color, and why that might represent the present day.
Backlighting: characters are glowing in this black and white film, I will say why that puts a focus on characters and why that is important for keeping it a traditional translation.
- For Scenes: I will talk about the scene with Marji proclaiming she is “Proud to be Iranian.” This scene is very powerful in the film, which I want to get at. I also want to go in detail about the scene of her being homeless and a drug addict, as it showcases why more is not better. It gives the same message with less details, an important point I want to make about the translation.
