National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point for computer-generated feature filmmaking and offering a knowing, irreverent take on fairy tale conventions. The film became a cultural landmark, earned the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and launched one of animation's most successful franchises.

This cell, titled Dragon, Shrek and Donkey, captures Dragon rearing upward against a misty forest backdrop, chained and clutching something small within her claw. The frame is presented as a triple sequence of the same image, giving the strip a rhythmic, almost frozen quality. Though the title references all three characters, the frames belong entirely to Dragon in this commanding, atmospheric moment.