The Red Turtle

Dir: Michaël Dudok de Wit

2016

*****

The Red Turtle is an astonishing work of minamalisum, craftsmanship and heaps of symbolisum. I think the story can be interpreted in many different ways but personally I saw it as something of a life guide. The film beguins with an unnamed man, drifting at sea, clambering for life, during a furiocious storm. He awakes shipwrecked and alone on a deserted island in the middle of no where, with only the clothes on his body. After exploring the beautifully hand-painted island, he decides to build a raft, figuring that he holds a much better chance of survival back at sea. Each attempt is scuppered, thanks to the titular Red Turtle, who sinks his raft time after time until he gives up. Infuriated, the man kills the turtle when back on land. Filled with remorse and regret, the man lays next to the body of the turtle and falls asleep, only to discover that the turtle has turned into a women the next morning. The pair live on the island happily ever after and even have a child, the possible meaning to it all really is open to interpretation. Is the secret of happiness confronting and living with one’s remorse? Does the Red Turtle symbolise one’s purpose, a reminder that the pursuit of what is futile is just that, futile. Is it a cautionary tale? Why is the Turtle Red? Is it an environmental warning? So many questions, one could get a little lost by the possibilities. However, as existential as it is (and I generally dislike existentialism), I found it to be remarkably meditative and therapeutic. Its compositions make great use of negative space, making a viewing it on the small screen feel as if you are watching it at the cinema (I can only imagine how wonderful the big screen experience would have been). The film is free from dialogue too, making it about as universal as it gets. Its transcendental wonder will captivate everyone, even the ones who are totally lost by the strange and basic plot. There is a calming balance about the film that is impossible to resist, that I’m sure is integral to the overall aim of the story. Our protagonist is constantly engulfed by the sea, the land and the forest, and goes through all of life’s cycles. He is observed by four curious crabs who, like us, are transfixed by his actions, as well as adding a very slight and welcome injection of humour. It is Robin-ZEN Crusoe, not at all about surviving, but about living. I don’t think there is a direct allegory at play here, if there is then it is more than a little elusive but I really don’t think it matters anyway, it is easy to follow and I think I get the gist of what writer/animator Michaël Dudok de Wit means to convey. Fans of Studio Ghibli certainly won’t be disappointed, although this is co-production (the mother of all you could say) between Ghibli and Wild Bunch. Hayao Miyazaki actually invited Vincent Maraval, head of Wild Bunch, over to visit him at Studio Ghibli head quarters in Japan, specifically to ask him to find the director of 2000’s Father and Daughter, a short film he had fallen in love with. Miyazaki asked de Wit if he could distribute his early short film and if if he could make a feature for them. He agreed to the first but questioned the second, believing that he had misunderstood or that there was a translation error, not quite believing his luck. This is Michaël Dudok de Wit’s debut feature, without Miyazaki he may not have ever had the chance, so The Red Turtle represents a very exciting time in animated movies, and with Miyazaki coming in and out of retirement, Studio Ghibli really does need to expand and branch out if it is to survive and grow. The attention, cultivation and eventual success of The Red Turtle is a great thing for this type of animated venture. Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks still hold the monopoly and studios like Ghibli are fighting the good fight from the other side of the fence. People clearly like both styles of animation, so it is about time they received level pegging.