“Combining
the magic of Japan’s most
beloved animation studio, Studio Ghibli,
and the wonderful gift of storytelling
by Oscar-winning director Michael
Dudok de Wit, the delightful and highly-
acclaimed Oscar-nominated anime The Red Turtle is the story of a man
shipwrecked on a tropical island and
his fight for survival...”
IN STUDIO GHIBLI'S FIRST INTERNATIONAL Co-production from Oscar-winning director
Michael Dudok de Wit (Father and Daughter), a man is shipwrecked on a
tropical island inhabited by turtles, crabs, birds, seals, lizards and millipedes.
The internationally-recognised creative craftsmanship of Studio Ghibli, Japan's
most beloved animation studio, combines with the gentle sensibility of Dudok
de Wit's storytelling to produce a wonderful and thought-provoking tale; brought
to life by Prima Linea's stellar animation team, helmed by Disney veteran Jean-Christophe
Lie (Zarafa; Tarzan; Hercules) and the beautiful, wistful, screenplay
without dialogue by award-winning French writer and director Pascale Ferran
(Lady Chatterley; Bird People).
“The
Red Turtle
is a delightful animation
with a poignant
message and is ever
beautiful, ever creative,
ever magical...”
Described
as a "deeply moving and uplifting story about the power of the human spirit",
the opening sequences are of a young man struggling to survive in heaving seas
before being washed up on the shore of an island inhabited solely by birds,
sea animals and insects.
We are given to understand he has been shipwrecked, thrown up on the shores
of an unknown island; the sole survivor and having to make his own way for the
unforeseen future.
Curious crabs note his arrival and watch his progress as he searches the island,
swims in a lagoon, climbs a tree and finds fruit to eat while birds fly and
squawk overhead.
Losing his footing, he falls into a waterlogged cave and manages to find an
obscured way out (if you are claustrophobic, look away!); he begins to build
a raft and watches newly-hatched baby turtles crawling across the sand in their
efforts to reach the sea and safety.
He dreams of an easy way across the sea and of being able to fly. He finds food
and feeds the eight crabs that have come to see what he is doing. Finally, he
launches the raft and it floats. Success.
But suddenly there is a bang from underneath. A large sea creature has attacked
the raft and it is in pieces; and so begins the man's futile attempts to leave
the island. In frustration and anger, he commits an atrocity that he is to sorrowfully
regret. As he remorsefully attempts to right a wrong, something truly magical
happens and you can believe in redemption.
At one point difficult to watch, contrition comes and from the story we begin
to understand aspects of life. Maybe we see the island as Earth; we are on this
planet to learn and we do make mistakes. We try to survive and we are beset
by difficulties, but we press on regardless.
Despite the tragedy, The Red Turtle is a delightful animation with a
poignant message and is ever beautiful, ever creative, ever magical. We have
come to expect nothing less from Studio Ghibli.
Music by Laurent Perez del Mar; Original Story and Screenplay by Michael Dudok
de Wit; Adaptation by Pascale Ferran and Michael Dudok de Wit; Artistic Producer
is Isao Takahata; Produced by Toshio Suzuki, Vincent Maraval, Pascale Caucheteux
and Gregoire Sorlat; Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit (Father and Daughter).
STUDIOCANAL announces the UK release of the Oscar-nominated and highly-acclaimed
The Red Turtle on Digital Download on 18 September 2017 and on DVD and
Double Play (Blu-ray & DVD) on 25 September 2017. Certificate: PG | Running
Time: 80 Minutes | Extras: The Secrets of The Red Turtle.
"The Red Turtle is a delightful animation with a poignant message and
is ever beautiful, ever creative, ever magical" — *****
Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"Simply Magnificent" — *****
Mark
Kermode, The Observer
“Combining
the magic of Japan’s most