The Red Turtle
Composite Score: 82.1
Starring: Emmanuel Garijo, Tom Hudson, Baptiste Goy, Axel Devillers, Barbara Beretta, Maud Brethenoux, Mickaël Dumoussaud, and Elie Tertois
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
Writers: Michael Dudok de Wit and Pascale Ferran
Genres: Animation, Family, Fantasy, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG for some thematic elements and peril
Box Office: $6.59 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
The Red Turtle tells the story of a shipwrecked fisherman and the life he lives on a deserted island after encountering a red sea turtle. Its simplicity in storytelling and animation have turned it into an instant classic among fans of animated films. The film’s format of basically no dialogue and emphasis on the sounds of nature help it to stick with the audience well after it has ended. At its heart, the film is the story of the cycles of life and death and our place in the world, and it leaves a lasting impact despite its simplicity. One of the best animated films of the last ten years, it certainly lives up to the hype.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The style of the film, limiting dialogue and focusing purely on the action on-screen might be off-putting for some viewers who are more familiar with more dialogue heavy films. In some ways, The Red Turtle likens back to silent films in its format, encouraging the audience to take in the environments on the screen rather than focusing on the conversations of its characters. For some viewers, this style simply won’t connect because they need more stimulation.
The Red Turtle, for all of its beauty and simplicity, fails to some extent to bring it all home, so to speak. The film’s final scene with the building score and the impactful moment of the protagonist’s death from old age has the potential to be truly cathartic and deeply emotional. Instead, the man dies quietly and quite suddenly, which makes sense when taking into account the overall gist of the film, but had it been played up just a little bit more, either connecting him back to the woman/the turtle one last time or by showing a little bit more acceptance on his part, that moment could have been deeply moving. As it stands, it works as an ending to the story, but for me, it felt somewhat lackluster.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Firstly, the film’s originality of concept is brilliant. The film is an animated feature with virtually no dialogue that is driven by the images on the screen, the sounds of the film’s environment, and the music of the film’s score. Each of these pieces working together makes the film into an artistic masterpiece that is highly enjoyable as well. The screen images of the environment are basically individual photographs with minimal movement to highlight the smallness of the characters against the vastness of nature. They present beautiful seascapes, landscapes, forest environments, and beachside sleeping arrangements. The film’s creatures (not just the red turtle) are given equal importance in each shot as the humans, with some scenes focusing solely on the creatures (crabs, birds, turtles, etc.). The sounds of nature that permeate the film lend to setting the tone of each of those scenes and bring the audience into the world on-screen beautifully. Finally, the film’s score, though equally simplistic brings so much to the table, informing the audience of potential dangers, attaching emotions to the film’s characters, and building drama in the important moments. Together, The Red Turtle’s artistic elements are what sets the film apart as deserving of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time. Though its simplicity might turn off certain viewers, that simplicity is part of the film’s beauty, and should not necessarily be a knock against it. Find this one to rent on most services if you are interested.
