"The Red Turtle” is a film that capitalizes on the artistic qualities of film, as well as the art of animation. The film was released in the U.S. in January, and played at The Flying Monkey earlier this month.
The film is directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit, and it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Without using dialogue, this animated film portrays the story of a shipwrecked man on a deserted island. The island is inhabited by turtles and crabs, the nameless main character's only peers.
The man proves to be quite resourceful, and swiftly discovers how to live on the island.
Naturally, the man is distressed by his situation, and seeks out a way to escape his solitude.
Every time that the man attempts to leave the island using rafts he crafted from lumber, a mysterious red turtle destroys his rafts, one after the other. After a great deal of fruitless trial and error, the man becomes frustrated and discouraged.
"The film is endearing, sweet
and innocent."
“The Red Turtle” may lack dialogue, but it does not lack substance or the ability to evoke emotion. The film is endearing, sweet and innocent.
The fact that all of this is accomplished by the film without any dialogue is testament to its ability to capture an audience with its aesthetic appeal via gorgeous animation and a heartwarming plot.
“The Red Turtle” is certainly one worth seeing, and is an animated fantasy that the whole family can enjoy.
COURTESY IMAGE / WILD BUNCH AND STUDIO GHIBLI