Film review - Belleville Rendez-vous/ The Triplets of Belleville (2003) - France

Figure 1. Movie poster

Belleville Rendez-Vous also known as The Triplets of Belleville is a silent French film about a young boy's dream to compete in the Tour de France. The film follows the boy as he grows to a man and shows him competing in the event although, while competing, he is taken by what turns out to be the French Mafia and is then used, along with other competitors, to be forced to cycle in a betting ring. In the film, the man's Grandmother is also shown. She is shown encouraging throughout his journey and supporting him while he was in the Tour de France. When she realises that her Grandson is missing, she and their dog Bruno go on a search to find him. When she follows the trail to Belleville she meets the triplets of Belleville who end up helping her retrieve her Grandson and defeat the Mafia.

Figure 2. Ms Souza

Although the film has hardly any narrative the noises of singing and music can be heard suggesting that the film is almost like a pantomime. Throughout the film the audience are introduced to each character through how they act. Showing the audience each character's individual characteristics and individual quirks. Examples of this are the family's dog, Bruno, who always barks at trains. Another is the Grandmother Ms Souza who is always pushing her glasses back up her nose as they keep falling down. 

Figure 3. Belleville

Each of the characters are designed in their own individual way but still in the same traditional looking style. The way they have also been designed also reflects their personality. 'A remarkably flexible restaurant waiter bends over backwards to please his criminal customers. Henchmen connect and separate like stickle bricks, their shoulders hunched, marching as perfectly rectangular shadows... A mechanic who is seen scurrying beneath various contraptions has the features of a mouse. The long-faced cyclists come to resemble horses, parched and wheezing, are guided into trailers in a manner that foreshadows their fate.' (Wadsworth, 2018) Each character also has one aspect of them extenuated giving them a caricature and illustrative style, '.... the character design is very different, with an extremely detailed, caricatured style, similar to what you would find in the political cartoons in the broadsheets.' (Mackenzie, 2003) 
From the start to the end of the film it is very clear that the art directors ensured that time was spent creating each of the environments that the characters interact with. It is clear that it was intended for the design to be illustrative, which fits in well with the style of the characters.




Bibliography:

Mackenzie, M. (2003). Belleville Rendez-vous Review. [online] Film @ The Digital Fix. Available at: https://www.thedigitalfix.com/film/content/34/belleville-rendez-vous/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

Wadsworth, J. (2018). Belleville Rendez-vous. [online] Silent Frame. Available at: https://www.silent-frame.com/articles/2003-belleville-rendezvous-sylvain-chomet [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].


Illustrations list:

Figure 1.Movie poster (2003). http://www.cineclubejoane.org/2014-07/images/Belleville.jpg 

Figure 2. Ms Souza (2003) https://www.chapter.org/sites/default/files/production/banner/Belleville%20Rendezous%20Banner.jpg

Figure 3. Belleville (2003) https://twitter.com/sylvainsarrailh/status/783212382009032704