Rex Cinema Fire
The novel we are observing this week is “Persepolis.” Marjane Satrapi wrote Persepolis as a graphic novel describing her experience growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Many of the events that are expressed in this novel are told from the perspective of a young girl who has no understanding of what is happening. While there are many events that occurred during this time, the Rex Cinema Fire was a major one. Understanding the Rex Cinema Fire will help us to have a better idea and understanding of the confusion that Marji and her family were experiencing.
In 1978 the country of Iran became divided and there was much tension in the country. The Rex Cinema, in Abadan, was playing a movie titled “Gavaznha.” From there four men locked the doors of the lobby, and set the cinema filled with 700 people, on fire. Because of this, 370-430 people died in the theater, while only 320 escaped. The fire could not be put out for six hours due to the fire department arriving late and other complications they had. This attack on the Rex Cinema was blamed on the Marxist/Islamic radicals by the Iranian government. However, the revolutionaries believed that the Shah’s secret police conducted this act of terrorism.
While there was much confusion as to who was to blame for this attack, the attack ignited a new wave of revolution among the people. The people now wanted Shah removed for good. It was years later that the man in charge of this attack, Hossein Takbalizadeh confessed to his awful act of crime on the people at the Rex Cinema Fire. This event shows the confusion within the revolution, while also showing why Marji blames both the Shah and the Islamic State that followed the Shah.
“Https://Qph.fs.quoracdn.net/Main-Qimg-859be99c15345de663dd1226f5b70ae6-c: Fuse Box, Honda Accord, Honda Civic.” Pinterest, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/344032859040729756/.
References:
Roblin, Sebastien. “In 1978, Four Terrorists Burned 420 Movie-Goers Alive in Iran.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 14 Dec. 2019, https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/1978-four-terrorists-burned-420-movie-goers-alive-iran-105082.
Satrapi, Maarijane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon Books, 2007.
This historical event was a great explanation of the themes we are about to read. It shows the immense panic that the time represented. I liked how you tied in your book summary to the tragedy. I have never heard of the Rex Cinema Fire, so I learned a lot through your post. The tendency of finger-pointing to terrorism throughout history is very representative of the public mindset at the time.
Hello,
As I read your post, I learned a lot about Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Before reading this post I was unaware of the Rex Cinema fire or anything pertaining to the Islamic Revolution. However, As I read your post I learned a lot of factual information. I am very sad that the Rex Cinema fire killed nearly 430 people. I am glad however that this act of injustice was not let go. It brought Shah to justice and removed him from power. Overall, I really like how you have also shown how the Rex Cinema fire relates to the book we are reading this week!
The Rex Cinema fire definitely seems to be an important landmark in regard to initiating the revolutionary mindset that many Iranians adopted. Following, it was relieving to hear that the person at fault was finally recognized and he faced his consequences. This is a very sad event, but the information definitely set the tone for the themes throughout Persepolis.
Yes I see your comments like other students
I like how you took Rec Cinema to help explain more moments within the book. It gave me a better idea of what Marji and her family were experiencing. The picture also allowed me to feel more emotion by being able to give an image to the situation. The photo being black and white also helps give me some emotion. After reading your post I feel like I understand the mood that is being portrayed within the story.
Hi,
I was unaware of the Rex Cinema Fire and its impacts on the already brewing tension in Iran. It was interesting how you made the connection between the confusion in the novel ‘Persepolis’ that the young girl felt to the confusion of many adult citizens that truly didn’t understand who would inflict such pain on a community. When pertaining to terrorism and its lasting effect on certain communities, many often look for a group or person to blame and focus their anger and disgust at. In this scenario, the revolutionaries were looking for the push to finally incriminate Shah and the secret police. Thank you for your post it was very informative!
Wow! I did not know what the Rex Cinema fire was before reading this! That event is very interesting, but also extremely sad. Reading this makes me feel even more for their country and communities. It also helped me further understand Marji’s perspective as a child during these times.
Thank you so much for sharing the background information about the culture and the time period. It’s crucial to know the the culture background to understand the literature more. Even though now we think that women are equal to men, in certain culture it’s not the case. It’s important to look at issues with a fair perspective