National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point in computer-animated feature filmmaking. Produced as a deliberate counterpoint to the polished fairy-tale tradition, the film blended irreverent humor with genuine emotional depth, earning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its cultural footprint proved enormous, launching a franchise and reshaping audience expectations for the animated medium throughout the following decade.

This cell captures Lord Farquaad within an ornate interior setting, stained glass visible in the background across three near-identical frames. One frame presents the figure inverted relative to standard viewing orientation, a detail that speaks to the nature of original camera negative and the physicality of 35mm production. Lord Farquaad remains the sole subject throughout, making this a focused character piece from the film's principal antagonist.