This film really captures the idea of human interaction with the environment through it's plot and metaphors. There is no dialogue in the movie and we are forced to understand what is happening only through the visual medium. This makes the visual much more powerful but also gives room for the music to engross us completely.

The man's struggle against nature is very literal in the beginning. He fights against the elements, trying to satisfy his hunger and thirst. While exploring the island he falls into a hole near a cliff where he gets stuck. He is forced to dive deep into a crevice between the rocks to escape outside to the sea. This is a clear metaphor for the struggles we face against nature. While we seek to explore and understand our world we are forced into tough spots that we then must overcome, a very relevant idea with climate change looming over us. This idea is further highlighted with the man trying to escape from the island using a raft that he built. The raft keeps getting destroyed, later we learn, by a giant red turtle. This sea turtle symbolizes nature, but also in a more idealistic sense it relates to wisdom, beauty and power. The man who is short term minded regards the actions of the turtle with hate. He destroys the turtle and causes it's death in a gruesome scene. Then a metamorphosis occurs where the man finds a beautiful lady within the turtle shell. As he falls in love with the lady and accepts his fate and comes to think of the island as a home, he comes to regret his previous actions. The meaning behind this particular sequence of surreal events can probably be interpreted in many ways. However, I come to believe that it's a message about environmentalism and how we don't regard beauty until it's too late.

When his child later grows up, he falls into the same hole as the father. His mother then guides him to his escape showing the role of parenting and society in the progress of our relationship with nature. The boy later grows up and sets to escape the island with a raft, aided by turtles. This kind of cyclical end shows how we progress but how we also are repeating the lives of our parents in some way as well.

The movie's animation is beautiful and very simple. The shadows are used more than once to bring out emotions of different kinds. The color palette is mostly dull and subdued which makes the vivid red of the turtle come out in a strong contrast. The surreal aspects of the dreams utilize the medium in a way that shows how animation can triumph live action in terms of it's simple yet effective delivery. There is comic relief in terms of little crabs that help break the tension and the overall somber note of the movie. Overall, the movie is strong, with significant themes and an emotional delivery, yet it is lacking of a more clear message. Although, I usually do appreciate metaphorical and symbolic movies that are more abstract in nature and leave the interpretation to the audience, the whole thing feels forced rather than a subtle layer.

Since the Hollywood upgraded to the 3D animation, the rest of the world took over and given some incredible films in the last one and half decades. The Japanese animes are undoubtedly the best, but the European animation, particularly the 2D animation started to boom in the recent times with special mention goes to Tomm Moore. So basically I might miss some Hollywood animations, right now, but I'm very watchful over this kind of films. That's how I watched it, but anyway I would have seen it.

This is the director's first feature animation film, but he was known for his awesome short animations which one of them won him an Oscar. It was jointly produced by three countries, including Japan's Studio Ghibli. It's their first non-Japanese production and a great beginning and timing to expand the production in other continents. Especially after their legend, Hayao Miyazaki retired from the filmmaking.

The film was short like the 80 minute stretch without a single word spoken in its entire narration. There's no even sign language used, everything's actions and reactions. So you would find empty in the film's cast section which is kind of weird. I mean there are characters in the film, but all were imaginations without names and what year it takes place, where with so many questions like that. Basically to say, a film without the cast, but the crew members managed to give the best to the viewers to get it without any struggle.

One thing is for sure, that the film is very enjoyable. It is a fantasy film, so whatever you see, you have to accept it. Because that's how things happen in a theme like this, all fictional. Though, the first thing you have to keep in your mind is not the entire film was an hallucination event. There are some dreamy events and that's fine since the film character is coping with loneliness.

A man who had lost at sea, wakes up in a small island. It's a life supporting land mass with fresh water and fruits, but he also has to put some effort for fishing. His notion is to leave the island as soon as possible to go back to where he had come from, the civilised world. In his every attempt to sail with a raft he had made using bamboos, fails to cross after a certain stretch of the island coast. He later comes to know what stopped him and with an anger reaction he commits a mistake. So now he has to come out of the guilt and to do that he chooses what seems the right.

It was like a simple story without any meaning about everything that's shown in it. So in my entire watch I thought the same and said it was an okay film with great animation. But the ending changed my stance. That twist, I don't think everybody would understand. But one thing I want to make sure if you yet to see it, that it was about the purpose. The man always looks for a reason to do things and even to live or die. That's where the red turtle comes in.

Although my biggest question is, is this film a follow-up or in any way connected to the director's previous short animation 'Father and Daughter'? Because it seems the man who got lost in the sea is from that short film. But it never revealed the reason why he was stopped by whomever from return home. Also, both the conclusions syncs. It's just a my theory, so only the director can explain that.

I'm very sure this film is in the Oscars race. If it fails to make, then its not my prediction was wrong, but the Academy Awards people got it all wrong. I'm also sure it won't win as 3D animation dominated world, particularly 'Zootopia' 'Finding Dory' and 'Moana' are taking the first three frontrunner spots. Except the technical differences, only the grown ups can say this one has a better and meaningful story. It is very similar to 'Ponyo', but a grown-up's version. Anyway, it is a must see film, especially the adults and in particular those who always think animation is for children. If they see it, they might change their mind. Highly recommended!

8/10

There are times when you really start to question why the characters in 'The Red Turtle (2017)' aren't talking to one another, since they can vocalise (even shouting "hey" on occasion) and end up resorting to clumsy pseudo sign-language. The flick's allegorical nature falls slightly short on a couple of key contradictory points, too. This is a beautifully animated, wonderfully moving and somewhat poignant tale of a man's life and the unexpected turns it takes when he meets the eponymous turtle, though. It's touching, exciting, tense and intriguing stuff that usually shows just how powerful visual storytelling really can be. Even though, on occasion, it drags a little and starts to wade around in its own limitations slightly, it's still a wonderful and friendly picture. 7/10