Animation Done Right

It was a almost a shock to be left without dialogue, yet receive a more complete, dramatic and resonant story than most films – subtitled or unsubtitled – are able to provide. A combination of European charm and American sensibility, Les Triplettes de Belleville is a film that no serious animation lover should miss. You have to see it, just to realize what a powerful storytelling device the animation medium can be used for!

In one sense, BELLEVILLE uses an animation style that is completely unique and nothing like anything you’ve seen before. This is quite refreshing, considering that most modern animation is too much the carbon copy of Disney, Scooby Doo or Japanese anime. Furthermore, the strokes and colors are so trademark distinctive, that I doubt there will be any cheap attempts to replicate it. Just as no two people dream alike, only Chomet has the vivid sense of the visions needed to make this masterpiece. This is as close to avant garde as mainstream animation gets. It is very much a testament to the fact that animation is indeed a true art!

On the other hand, BELLEVILLE does not disregard the fundamental principles of animation, as seen too often in anime and so-called minimalist animation. It is no less traditional than Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

We must constantly remind ourselves that "new" is quite often not better. As an anecdote, recently I noticed that certain fast-food resteraunts have been marketing hamburgers without the buns. I find it hard to conceive how this is an actual improvement. Since, if I didn’t want the bun, I could just as easily take it off and feed it to some pigeons.

So, of course I was sceptical! But no shortcuts have been taken here. Motion is so carefully balanced with counter-motion, just as the sentiments subtly shifts between tension and humor. Structurally, individual gags are used both to provide short-term relief, as well as to build slower-moving plot that progresses towards the end; analagous to the individual sequences of notes that build larger frameworks in musical composition. Everything is foreshadowed and surprising at the same time. And the very small amounts of computer CGI used are barely even noticible. I stress again that this movie is able to perfectly express itself without dialogue, which goes to show how strong the artistry is. Chomet shows that he does not need to break the rules to prove he has mastered them. Rather, he has done what every artist should strive to do: taken the most his medium has to offer and made it his own!

If this is not enough to excite you, there is more!

Given the dozens of emails I receive from closet-case anime zealots who proclaim that I am some kind of jingoistic gung-ho Yankee racist, some might be curious as to why I am reviewing a foreign film. I admit that I am a nationalist, a patriot, a man who feels he has a right to be proud of his country, and yet far less culturally-deprived than these close-minded individuals assume.

Somewhat ironically, I think this film comes at the perfect time, given the rising hostilities between the United States and France. Though it’s of French origin, I think that BELLEVILLE is also a very even-handed prism for looking at American and French cultural stereotypes. The beauty is that you can laugh without becoming too attached to partisan ideologies. It’s almost a metaphor for how people look at each other and feel they are so different, yet deep-down they share the same human values. Ultimately, it all breaks down into good versus evil. Madame Souza and the Triplets are both recognized as "good", in spite of their cultural differences. Hence, their camaraderie is inevitable. And while these simple moral values may seem trite to modern society, BELLEVILLE shows just why they shouldn’t be. The essence of the story itself may be very simple, but its orchestration is so very complete.

Animation Done Right

A Review of TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE