The Red Turtle
2/4
Rated PG for Some Thematic Elements and Peril
Studio Ghibli has such a high standard quality that their name on a film is enough to recommend it. Not even Pixar has as good a track record. And even when their movies don't work, such as "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the end result is interesting and daring enough to check out anyway. With "The Red Turtle," the studio went outside of Japan for the first time. Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki was impressed with director Michael Dudok de Wit's short film, "Fathers and Daughters," that Studio Ghibli asked him if they could distribute it in Japan, and if he would make a feature film for them. Reportedly, de Wit couldn't believe his ears when they asked him to make a film for them. Unfortunately, this is one of the rare misses for the legendary animation studio.
The plot is extremely vague. With almost no dialogue (except for characters yelling "Hey!" to get someone's attention), it's difficult to discern what all is going on amid all the dream sequences and magical realism. There's little consistency in terms of what's real and what isn't, and how the surreal is implemented in the story. The film starts out fine, with the man's struggles to survive on a deserted island being captured with beauty and drama. But when his nemesis, a giant red sea turtle, dies and splits open to reveal a beautiful woman, the story goes off the rails.
Studio Ghibli has never been risk averse. They've taken pride in pushing the boundaries of animation and storytelling, challenging themselves to do things they've never done before in ways we don't expect. They have long since understood that animation need not be limited to films aimed at kids; "Grave of the Fireflies" and "The Wind Rises" are two examples of animation aimed strictly for adults. "The Red Turtle" is no different. Content-wise, there's nothing that's offensive or rough going for kids. But it's subtle and slow-moving. I checked the time quite a bit during the 80 minute running time. Kids will be bored out of their minds.
At least the animation is gorgeous. Unlike the other films in the Ghibli canon, this isn't anime. It's got a minimalistic style that was evident in "April and the Extraordinary World" (another French animated film). I don't mean this in a condescending way, but it's like a newspaper comic strip. Even when it gets dull, it's always gorgeous to look at. And the musical score by Laurent Perez del Mar is beautiful. So much so it's worth buying the soundtrack just to listen to it. The sweeping melodies are a joy to behold.
So it doesn't work as a movie. But the pieces are there for one.
Rated PG for Some Thematic Elements and Peril
Studio Ghibli has such a high standard quality that their name on a film is enough to recommend it. Not even Pixar has as good a track record. And even when their movies don't work, such as "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the end result is interesting and daring enough to check out anyway. With "The Red Turtle," the studio went outside of Japan for the first time. Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki was impressed with director Michael Dudok de Wit's short film, "Fathers and Daughters," that Studio Ghibli asked him if they could distribute it in Japan, and if he would make a feature film for them. Reportedly, de Wit couldn't believe his ears when they asked him to make a film for them. Unfortunately, this is one of the rare misses for the legendary animation studio.
The plot is extremely vague. With almost no dialogue (except for characters yelling "Hey!" to get someone's attention), it's difficult to discern what all is going on amid all the dream sequences and magical realism. There's little consistency in terms of what's real and what isn't, and how the surreal is implemented in the story. The film starts out fine, with the man's struggles to survive on a deserted island being captured with beauty and drama. But when his nemesis, a giant red sea turtle, dies and splits open to reveal a beautiful woman, the story goes off the rails.
Studio Ghibli has never been risk averse. They've taken pride in pushing the boundaries of animation and storytelling, challenging themselves to do things they've never done before in ways we don't expect. They have long since understood that animation need not be limited to films aimed at kids; "Grave of the Fireflies" and "The Wind Rises" are two examples of animation aimed strictly for adults. "The Red Turtle" is no different. Content-wise, there's nothing that's offensive or rough going for kids. But it's subtle and slow-moving. I checked the time quite a bit during the 80 minute running time. Kids will be bored out of their minds.
At least the animation is gorgeous. Unlike the other films in the Ghibli canon, this isn't anime. It's got a minimalistic style that was evident in "April and the Extraordinary World" (another French animated film). I don't mean this in a condescending way, but it's like a newspaper comic strip. Even when it gets dull, it's always gorgeous to look at. And the musical score by Laurent Perez del Mar is beautiful. So much so it's worth buying the soundtrack just to listen to it. The sweeping melodies are a joy to behold.
So it doesn't work as a movie. But the pieces are there for one.
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