The Movie Diorama I've not seen many films that have little to no dialogue, and immediately this reminded me of 'All Is Lost'. An international co-production between Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli, this is simply a story of a man stranded on a remote luscious island where he must be forced to survive. Well...at first it seemed like that. Then he encounters the titular red turtle, survival has now turned into an intimate sublime view on life and death. It's hard not to appreciate a film that attempts to push boundaries, to use the medium as a means of art as opposed to mindless entertainment. The Red Turtle is just that. Art. Absolutely gorgeous animation, truly superb. The detail in the landscape and characters is rather minimalistic, but it's the colour palette and effortless blend of the greyscale pigmentation that elevates this cinematic piece to an exceedingly high level. As with many contemporary artsy films, the story itself is fuelled by metaphors. The subtext that lurks beneath the colourful surface. I'm sure you could interpret this in various ways, from the religious "Adam & Eve" connotations to the neglect of wildlife. I personally viewed this as the latter. A pivotal scene where the red turtle is washed ashore, our silent character does something. It evoked feelings of shock and disappointment but it was conveyed as a microcosm for society and how we treat wildlife. I'm still trying to work out the symbolism of the turtles but the beauty of such a short rapid film is that I can easily watch it again. The lack of dialogue doesn't deter from connecting with the story, in fact the characters had personalities. Sure they were simple, however it was well presented. Even the island itself felt like it had a personality of its own, especially with the wide variety of wildlife that reside there. The musical score was also breathtakingly beautiful, gave me goosebumps. All in all, The Red Turtle was a visual treat boosted by a mature metaphorical story to keep you intrigued.

TheLittleSongbird Had heard nothing but good things about 'The Red Turtle', including that it was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar (up against very stiff competition with the likes of 'Zootropolis', 'Kubo' and 'Moana'). Also am an animation fan and saw that it had a Studio Ghibli co-credit, so high expectations were raised even higher.Finally seeing 'The Red Turtle', there is not much else to add to what has already been said. While it is an unconventional film and will perplex some, 'The Red Turtle' is a beautiful film, in visuals, storytelling and emotions. It perhaps runs for a little too long in length, particularly when the story structure is somewhat more suited to a short film. Otherwise, 'The Red Turtle' is deserving of its praise and its Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination was a worthy one even when up against such stiff competition where all the nominees were very good to outstanding in their own way.'The Red Turtle' is very beautifully animated. It's simple rather than elaborate or flashy, but this simplicity is done very elegantly and still boasts some exquisitely imaginative moments. The backgrounds are meticulous in detail and the colours are ethereal and bold. All the characters are drawn with taste too. The music score not only adds a lot to the storytelling and emotions, it even gives them a greater impact. There is a haunting atmosphere, whimsical energy and understated lushness to the music here, and the clever sound effects work well too.A wordless, dialogue-free film (apart from the odd sound effect) 'The Red Turtle' may be, but that's not a strike against it. There are many instances of things resonating volumes without the use of words, this is true of 'The Red Turtle' with its wide and varying range of emotions conveyed poignantly and with a sense of wonder. No matter how slight the story structure, the atmosphere is so rich and the visuals such a feast for the eyes that to me the film never became dull. Loved the timeless fable/folk tale feel to the story as well.From personal opinion, 'The Red Turtle' was one of the most emotional films of 2016, making me resonate with the profound subject matter and care for the charming characters. There is a little nail-biting drama, some fairly symbolic romance and the cycle of life story is profoundly engaging. The ending is very affecting, though will (and has done) perplex some, and the characters charm.Overall, a thing of beauty. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Vanilor This is the most barren, boring, and tedious of a film that Studio Ghibli has ever made. I am a long time fan of Studio Ghibli, with Spirited Away being my favorite, but it seems they are really struggling lately. They are branching out into directions most people don't want. The Red Turtle strays into the realm of avant- garde cinema, in that there is no dialogue, no plot, no explanation for anything you see, and no pay-off for sitting through an hour and a half of ambiance. I don't understand what they were trying to accomplish by completely avoiding dialogue. Dialogue is crucial for character development and communication between characters. Cast Away did a great job of getting around the problem of only having one character, by creating the character of Wilson the volleyball. Imagine Cast Away without Wilson, without any tension, and moving along at a snail's pace, with an ending as meaningless and nonsensical as the ending of Lost, and you've got the Red Turtle. It's a pointless, meaningless film, and it's a black mark on Studio Ghibli's reputation.

jtncsmistad Highly unusual. Enormously atmospheric. Ultimately moving. The French animated film "The Red Turtle" will not bowl you over so much as it will quietly bring you under it's alluring spell.Writer/Director Michael Dudok de Wit, Music Director Laurent Perez Del Mar and the animation team led by Supervisor Jean-Christophe Lie collectively impart an enduring message about, among other themes, becoming an adult, creating a family, forgiveness and letting go. And if that seems like a lot to chew on, perhaps "The Red Turtle" is best summed up thusly: A man has not lived, and certainly never LOVED, until he comes to know those who are more important than he.