Review of The Triplets of Belleville (2003) by Mad M — 25 Nov 2009

There are few key moments in my life where I can note one brief moment in time that changed the way view art. I remember when I first watched The Triplets of Belleville, I was overcome with such a feeling of inspiration which I hadn't felt, well, maybe ever up to that moment in time.

The foreign idea of actually using body language and characters to drive a story rather than dialogue was intriguing to me. I, of course, had never been a big fan of silent films up to that point but only then did I realize how effective the technique really is. The beautiful backgrounds only compliment the story and characters while they transport you to a dreamlike landscape that you can't help but be mesmerized by.

I often remember viewing the films trailer in which they open quoting the words of critic A.O. Scott. The line that always sticks with me is, "A far cry from either Disney or Japanese anime." To that I have both feelings of joy and disappointment. Joy, that people are embracing other forms of animation that aren't the mainstream, and disappointment, not in the film, but that the majority of the population regard traditional animation as being one of only two types (One of which I have a complete aversion to, it's not Disney). Animation is one of the most underrated art forms not only from a cinematic aspect, but art in general.

So as time goes on, I still receive that same feeling of awe and inspiration I felt after my first viewing when I see the film today. For that, I always consider this to be not only my favorite animated film, but one of my favorite films ever made...