National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point for computer-generated feature filmmaking and challenging the conventions of the fairy-tale genre. Produced in competition with Disney's long-dominant animated output, the film became a cultural phenomenon and launched one of animation's most successful franchises, winning the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

This cell, titled Shrek, captures three consecutive 35mm frames of Shrek in tight close-up against a dark background, his green complexion and armored gauntlet visible in what reads as a tense, confrontational moment. The sequential nature of the frames offers a rare glimpse into the film's pacing, preserving a single charged beat from the ogre's story in physical celluloid.