The Price of Freedom: Thoughts on Persepolis and Theatre Etiquette

Persepolis is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen.  And it is a massive achievement-- a 90-minute animated coming-of-age tale set against a backdrop of political turmoil and religious oppression.  It is filled with life, and humor, and darkness, and sadness.  It is a film about free-spirits and freedom, and what those things mean.

And sitting in front of me during the screening were two free people, who illustrated their freedoms by making out and checking message boards with an I-Phone.  And I had to suffer them, because if I ripped off their stupid, ridiculous heads I would have been almost immediately sent to OPP.  The price of freedom is high-- I wanted to kill them, but I couldn't.

There is nothing so loathsome as a cell phone that rings in a movie theatre.  But in a close second place is a cell phone that is endlessly fiddled with in a movie theatre.  Do you not think we can see that stupid, distracting little light?  Do you think we want to see that stupid, distracting little light?  This is a subtitled film, you asstard!  If I keep glancing at your phone, I'm going to miss the dialogue.  I hate you.  And you're not even doing something relevant, like checking the time or sending a text message.  You're surfing the fucking internet!  I wanted nothing more than to take their goddamned I-Phone and fling it as hard as I could at the screen.
When they started making out, well, that didn't help matters either.  There's nothing wrong with fucking around at the movies, but for Christ's sake, sit in the back if your going to do so.  Do not sit in the middle if the theatre with half the audience behind you and start slurping on your ugly whore bitch.  Dumb ass.

In conclusion:

Persepolis- very good (A-)

freedom- good

not being able to kill people- bad

cell phones in a theatre- very bad

...but perhaps that's just the price we pay.