Story
The Red Turtle is an animated French/Japanese movie with no dialogue. The movie tells the story of a shipwrecked sailor who washes up on a lonely tropical island. Although there seem to be no humans on the island, it has lots of animals, including turtles, birds and crabs. Hoping to escape, the man uses materials from the island to build himself a raft, but his plan is repeatedly foiled by a giant red turtle. Although initially frustrated, the sailor gradually begins to bond with the creature.
The man also eventually meets a woman, and the two begin a family together. The man and his family go through a series of tribulations that threaten to destroy the life they’ve built together.
Themes
Acceptance; adventure and exploration; relationships and family; trust
Violence
The Red Turtle has some violence. For example, the man mistreats the turtle by hitting it with a bamboo pole. He also jumps up and down on the turtle’s underbelly. The turtle doesn’t seem to be hurt.
Sexual references
None of concern
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None of concern
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
None
Ideas to discuss with your children
The Red Turtle is a simple but beautiful movie that encourages audiences to identify with the nameless shipwrecked man. Because it has no dialogue, the movie avoids imposing specific meanings, but invites audiences to watch the story unfold and come to their own conclusions.
The movie explores the question of whether you need material possessions to live a fulfilled life. It’s also interested in the way that a life can take an unexpected and even unwanted direction, but can be full of value if you accept change and uncertainty.
The Red Turtle is best suited to viewers over 10 years. Because of its themes and scenes that might disturb younger children, we don’t recommend this movie for children under 8 years. And we do recommend parental guidance for children aged 8-10 years.