BYE BYE BUZZ
Woody and Buzz set the tone. They kicked it all off. We fell to our knees so we might touch the cloak of this magnificent new thing: the Lord of animation; images of the mind rendered in three dimensions. Oh the possibilities. Oh the brilliance of it. But like any regime, we grew tired. The great paradigm shift was forgotten, and then the improvements became smaller and smaller, and we ceased to care quite so much. Okay, so it’s not quite as black and white as that, but new advances in CGI animation aren’t enough anymore. We are human beings. We crave stories, meaning, emotion, not technological advance, and these are the things that even the simplest animations can support. They bring static images to life and transcend the possibilities of the everyday. You can make the flimsiest drawing do what an actor could never do. There are no restrictions. With a pen, a piece of paper, a computer - whatever - it shouldn’t matter. The great animated films show that, where animation is concerned, the possibilities are endless.
And, by all accounts, Persepolis is one of those. While the American studios turn away their once treasured two dimensional friends and choose to dine with newer models - Disney closed down its 2D Florida studio in 2004 - a chaotic little Parisian studio was, under the guidance of Marjane Satrapi, busy putting together one of the film sensations of 2007. An assemblage of simple lines washed with greys and blacks, the lead protagonists in Persepolis don’t claim to go to infinity and beyond, and yet, according to the universally favourable reviews, they do.
The thing is, the latest Silicon Graphics machines and the greatest team of CAD wizards can only get you so far, but a little imagination, creativity and determination can take you anywhere you want - something Marjane Satrapi knows only too well:
“Animation is like the Wild West. Anything is possible. And when you come from the underground, lots of work doesn’t freak you out. That is what art should be about - you work because you like your work, not to get paid.”
Like those American studios then...
For an in-depth exploration of Persepolis, cinema and truth in movies, look out for this month’s LITTLE WHITE LIES, a cult film publication currently building a devoted following through its heartfelt editorial, stunning production, and unwavering commitment to the very best in film.
