Sydney Film Festival: The Red Turtle

Studio Ghibli is a name that’s synonymous with quality, and whenever a film opens with that famous line drawing of Totoro, you know it’s going to be good. So taking into account that this is a co-production and not part of the Ghibli canon, how does The Red Turtle stack up with Studio Ghibli’s previous masterpieces?

The short answer, amazingly well.

The phrases “simple yet complex” and “familiar but different” are apt descriptions of The Red Turtle, especially considering that there is not a lick of dialogue at all. The story begins with a lone castaway struggling to survive on a desert island, before slowly blossoming into a meditative exploration of some of life’s big questions, most of which involve a red turtle. To talk about the titular red turtle would be giving away far too many of the film’s secrets, but rest assured that this film is far more than just a turtle. Despite not being given any context or even a name for the castaway, you quickly realise that this is far more than a survival story, and every beautiful, wordless frame of this film offers up a philosophical exploration into loneliness, family, and companionship.

The film marks Michaël Dudok de Wit’s directorial debut, but The Red Turtle demonstrates the work of an experienced veteran. Throughout the film, hand-drawn animation is seamlessly mixed in with more modern-day animated sequences, and the aesthetic is a very interesting blend of Eastern and Western art styles. Crucially, Dudok de Wit actively resists imposing any concrete meaning to The Red Turtle, thus allowing viewers to have their own interpretations and experiences to the film.

For those worried that this may not be the usual Studio Ghibli fare, rest assured that the studio’s fingerprints are present throughout The Red Turtle. Echoing the works of Japanese masters Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, surrealism and the environment are effectively used convey profound gestures without any overstatement.

With nothing more than a hauntingly beautiful score and a handful of grunts, The Red Turtle demonstrates that silence can be just as – if not more – powerful than speaking.

The Red Turtle was screened as part of the Sydney Film Festival.