The Red Turtle

The Red Turtle was directed by Dutch animator and director Michaël Dudok de Wit and co-produced by Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli. Hiiro Miyazaki personally requested for de Wit to work on a project after seeing his short film: “Father and Daughter”. The result is a Ghibli film unlike any other.
It does not carry Ghibli’s signature visual style, instead the style has European traits. Like Father and Daughter, The Red Turtle is elegant, atmospheric and is more about the emotional beats. It is told entirely visually, without any dialogue and deals with themes such as loneliness, guilt, companionship, forgiveness and letting go. The art revels in the beauty of nature in only the way Ghibli can, presented in long shots emphasising isolation and the vast space of the island.
Despite the simplicity of the narrative (a man shipwrecked on a desert island), there are parts which can get a little confusing. Namely the turtle turning into a woman; this is never explained. You could argue, however, that it should be read more like a fairy tale. Especially as the turtle is reminiscent of the selkies of Gaelic folklore.
The Red Turtle opened to appreciative audiences, particularly buffs who celebrated the minimalistic beauty of the piece. While some viewers felt it was too simple, it struck emotional chords for many others. It has a 7.5 on IMDB, has an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and won several awards including an Annie for Best Animated Feature — Independent.
> Charlotte Lenihan