Fig. 1 – movie poster
“The Triplets of
Belleville” is a 2003 animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet. The film
immediately grasps the viewers’ attention with its incredible style and visual
comedy. The first scene could be considered racist and a particularly bold
decision from the director, however it could be excused as it was referring to
different times. I particularly liked how the environment was constantly
changing and was reflecting the inner struggles of the characters. The
characters are undertaking transformations as well. From the glamorous triplets
we see at the start to three old and tired performers that lead a very sad and
curious existence. From a young puppy to a grown and cuddly beast and so on.
Maybe the only character that remains constant is the grandmother, and seeing as
she represents unconditional love and devotion it really makes sense for her to
be herself throughout the film.
Another striking thing about the film is the lack of
dialogue. The narrative is driven by actions and expressions and it really
works. We all knew the story without it being narrated. The excellent blend
between 2d and 3d animation was tasteful as well, even though I don’t think the
3d elements were enhancing any of the story. Instead of a 3d vehicle which
Bruno the dog rides in his dreams, I would’ve happily settled for a more low-fi
version of that, that was hand drawn to keep up with the traditional feeling,
but that’s just my personal preference.
Even though the film was lacking a dialogue, and I jumped
slightly when I heard the main character finally speak at the end, the music
and singing was infectious and I still have the tune stuck in my head. The
sounds really enhanced the characters too. Particularly the small mechanic guy
that was clearly based on a mouse, his sneeze was combined with the
high-pitched squeak of an actual mouse and I thought that is an excellent
detail.
Overall the film was immensely fun and worth watching, the
world it creates is really fun to look at and there was some really great
attention to detail in the way America is portrayed for instance. The statue of
liberty holding a burger is a particular favourite of mine and the misspelling
of Hollywood with Hollyfood. The French vibe was unmistakable too.
Illustration:
Fig. 1 – Movie poster - Upload.wikimedia.org, (2016).
[online] Available at:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Triplets_of_Belleville-Poster.jpg
[Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].
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