The Great Race of Belleville
Until now, Europe was – apart from the traditional strength of the Czech Republic and Poland – not just as a home of animation. Too dominant were the overseas producers such as Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks Studios or the Far East.
, But the “Old Europe” is catching up and is now very definitely in a position away from the million-dollar budgets of our competitors worth seeing evening filling animation produce, which can hold its own at the box office. One recent example is the animated film The Great Race of Belleville of living in Canada Frenchman Sylvain Chomet, the beginning of April will be released in Germany.
With humor, wit and style of classic cartoons and comic strips from the thirties, forties and fifties Chomet tells the story of Champion, a fat little boy who is raised by his club-footed grandmother Madame Souza. Nowhere is Champion – the name already suggests its typical French passion – as happy as on his bicycle. So, Madame Souza one Ironclad initiated training for her grandson, in the course of which the Pummel molts to a tough and sinewy cyclist with oversized leg muscles. When he finally, after years of deprivation can participate in the Tor de France, Finstermänner thwart his ambitions. Champion is kidnapped during the race, along with other racing professionals and the belly of an ocean liner shipped to Belleville. There, the heroes of the Landtsraße for private pleasure wettsüchtiger Mafia bosses are to enter into the pedals.
, But the gangsters did not reckon with Madame Souza and her faithful dog Bruno, include the straight tracking using pedal boats and nose. With the help of the scrapped Revue singers “Les Triplettes de Belleville” resolute grandmother, finally succeeds in freeing her grandson and the other athletes from the hands of villains.
With an immense wealth of detail and a love for old comics and the bizarre European joke comedian Jacques Tati, as is The Great Race of Belleville a beautiful, sepia-colored homage to late defunct cinema times, which also works without dialogues and familiar only to the sometimes edgy expressiveness of her characters. A successful, remarkable and very European alternative to the smooth and clean animation films from the United States.
Title: The Great Race of Belleville Country of production: Canada, France, Belgium Year of production: 2003 Length: 80 minutes (min .) Rental: Concorde