Monday, November 17, 2008

Persepolis. (movie)

Confession time. I'm one of those people who 9 times out of 10 will prefer the movie version of a book over the actual book. (but not always, of course.) You see, i like reading, and tapping into my imagination to create my own version of the story in my head. But there's something about seeing the ideas pan out on a big screen for you, the fluidity of everything works better for me. So where was i going with this? Heh. I liked the movie version of Persepolis better. The book obviously pans everything out for you already but its not as fluid or easy to follow like in a movie. In the movie, it was all the same stuff, but with voices, emotion that you hear rather than see and of course the fact that your brain isnt working as hard to focus. The movie was just more appealing to me.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Finishing Persepolis

Persepolis. So let me compare this to Maus for a second. Ther're both powerful stories about war and family. Yet theyre different wars, at different times with different families. Despite these differences, its remarkable how similar they are. The frustration and misunderstandings that occur, along with anything and everything else. (now im just being vague.) Anyways, I can't say i disliked this book. I actually enjoyed it more than Maus. Satrapi added humor to her panels, where Speigelman just let things be known.

There's a lot going on in this story but i really dont feel as though she emphasizes lines. I mean, they're there; being used but nothing spectacular. The use of lines is simple but maybe thats because the story is so complex. There's so much going on that perhaps if the story is complicated, and the drawings are complicated, then we're intimidated and disinterested. Or maybe thats just the way it worked out. One question i did have though, was on page 160. It shows Marjane in the supermarket and shes overwhelmed by it actually having food. (this might just be a stupid question) but in one of the panels it shows a woman reaching for something on a higher shelf and above her is a blurb saying "aktion". Is this to emphasize the magnificance of the situation or did i miss something?

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Persepolis

Brutal. That about sums it up right? i mean here we have this small girl with a life that is incomprehensibly difficult and she hasn't even reached the age of 12. The surprising part, (for me anyways) is that she's so knowledgeable about things. (almost too much?) I have to wonder how I would be in that situation. Would i know as much? Read as much? Be as concerned? I feel like i wouldnt, but then again i really just dont know. The amount of people that walk in and out of this kids life is insane. The amount of violence she deal with on a day to day basis is insane. Her life is politics. There's no doubt about it and i really can't get over it. And things just continue to decline throughout the story...
On a more positive note.... I like the way she writes. for some reason it feels more personal than the others. She definitely includes more comic relief but i can imagine thats because the story is pretty thick.

Topic C- Synaesthetics and lines
pg 5 During the demonstrations against the veil. No bubbles. Just words being yelled back and forth. Either "the veil!" or "freedom!" (cursive writing significant?)

The lines are not as thick and dark as that of Maus but not as light as that of Bechdel's either. and the people are drawn in a simpler way than all the comics. All the other comics may have seemed simple but were more complex than we realized. This feels more like a comic. (does that make sense?) Eh. I guess what I'm trying to say is the drawings appear simple.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

MAUS II Chs. 3, 4 & 5

Hmm. Maus. I liked it but it was definitely different from the other two graphic memoirs we already read. The pictures weren't as pretty, but then again the ideas weren't very pretty either. The words were detailed+ interesting. The accents were sometimes confusing but not terrible.
The father is annoying and because i can feel the tension and aggravation within this story, i know that it somehow did it what it was supposed to do. (that and the fact that it's a pretty popular book.)
I'm not even going to bother mentioning time and motion because im not a fan of reaching back in the text and making up an example on how it could have possibly been time and motion but most likely wasn't. (Stuff just kind of happens!) But back to the dad. How aggravating! I don't mean to sound like a jerk but c'mon! He returned half eaten cereal! (which is weird on so many levels, but im also a germophobe....off topic.) ANYWAYS back to the dad. After all he went through with the discrimination of the jews he turns around and does it himself. After they retruend the cereal, Francoise picks up a black hitch hiker (depticted as a black dog). Vladek starts freaking out! He swears, calls the guy names, and claims that he had to watch over the food so that it wouldnt be stolen. AGH! The Holocaust really scarred him, and you'd think that he'd be more gracious towards others, especially others of a different race. (why is this?)