A simple tale, portrayed in simple animation, wordless yet totally engaging.
A man is washed ashore on an isolated island after a storm. Overcoming his sense of despair, he explores, finds food and fresh water, and establishes that no other people are to be found. He sets about constructing a raft, launches it, only for it to broken apart a short distance from shore. Repeating the exercise gives the same result. On the third occasion he sees the culprit, a giant red turtle, which comes from the depths below to smash up his creation. later, when he sees the turtle on the sands, in fury he goes over and tips it on to it's back, leaving it to die.
What follows combines dream, myth and magic with the human spirit and imagination. The culprit turns saviour, and the man's life on the island becomes one of contentment, companionship, love, and the friendship of the turtles. Not perfect, not without challenges, but worth living.
Nothing is explained, and the film is all the better for that, leaving the viewer to fill out the story for themselves, to follow the million possibilities it offers. It's beautiful, universal and soothing. An antidote to a world gone mad.
No comments:
Post a Comment