OF A GOLDEN AGE

First a note: Philip Glass and Ira Glass are first cousins once removed. I didn’t know it either, but apparently America has a royal family.

A few weekends ago a sweet, talented friend and I went to see Persepolis at a downtown multiplex. The original graphic novel was stark, uplifting, devastating, and often (accurately) grouped with Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Both are at once large- and small-scale, portraying an entire war as telescoped into one family’s experiences; both still maintain a critical sense of humor as reflected in the real lives of each subject.

When I saw they were making a movie out of Persepolis I was thrilled and still am. Satrapi collaborated with another artist to develop an outrageously gorgeous look for the movie, and the French language was dubbed into English for release in the U.S. (Some compelling voice-actor choices were also made.) The product is a deeply effective, emotional story that still made me laugh hysterically, which means it successfully made the jump from brilliant book to brilliant movie.

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