Persepolis

Popular Iranian animated picture, personal and political; Marjane Satrapi's story, with a co-direction credit to Vincent Paronnaud. 2007.
The animation is simple, with expressionist touches. Use of either white surfaces outside, with almost expressionist touches around the corners. Conveys the mood very well; world changes as the action does. Simpler drawings for clear scenes, twisted trees for hardship, use of shadows, etc.
Constantly moving ‘camera’, constant fades from one scene to the next, frequent montage work. Fast changing of images fits with the speedy narrative. Some wonderful touches as one images transforms into the next. The constant movement does mean that nothing is dwelled upon.
This is both a positive and a negative feature; the cuts to sillouhette for some of the toughest scenes, their quick departure, signals this as a work that is ultimately about one person’s experience.
Nearer the start it is a terrific run through of Iranian history (nicely played out as almost a play within the film), before becoming increasingly a personal story, an interior one. Leaves some questions to be asked. It would be grating and cruel to demand more, but their are certainly other films here (note the almost shot to shot short musical montage debt to the great ‘Waltz with Bashir, a deeper journey).
This is very much narrative, without much character study beyond the lead. The images are also used (in an excellent manner), though some undoubtedly stay with you. A good film, even better than that at its start.