The Triplets of Belleville

The Triplets of Belleville is a 2003 animated comedy film by Sylvain Chomet. The completely bizarre plot and unique style of animation has made it a film I've returned to again and again and recommended to others countless times. I enjoy films that employ a variety of types of animation, especially hand-drawn with computer generated aspects. I've listed a few shots below that exemplify this strange style.

Here is the film's original trailer:

                                     

                                       

The image above is hand-drawn, but the digitally blurred background image adds a sense of depth that you won't find in earlier hand-drawn animation. Additionally, if the image above were in motion, you would see the way in which the character's head in the foreground moves from side to side, giving the impression of a three dimensional sense of space.

                                      

The image above, from a sequence in the introduction of the film, exemplifies a different style than the remainder of the film. Showing the triplets in their earlier days, this part is a combination of hand-drawn and computer generated imagery as well. Additionally, a filter is employed to make the footage seem archival.

The video below is a making-of by director and lead animator, Sylvain Chomet:

The Cartoon According to Sylvain Chomet

If this film seems like something you're interested in, I recommend checking out The Illusionist as well, a film Chomet made in 2010:

                                      

And just for fun, here is a super strange music video made to accompany The Triplets of Belleville theme song with some fun German impressionism: