Erbak Movie Reviews invites the concrete-clad, screen-bound soul of the 21st-century human to a place of quiet wonder and reflection: an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere.
This week’s film, La Tortue Rouge, is not just a story—it’s a meditative journey into nature, solitude, and the quiet beauty of simply being.
The Deserted Island
A man survives a violent storm at sea, only to wash ashore on an uninhabited island. How he got there no longer matters.
What matters is this: he is now face-to-face with nature.
No name, no past, no distractions—just a human, alone with the earth.
Perhaps he was sent there by something bigger—perhaps by nature itself, longing for reconnection with humanity.
The Escape Attempt
But the man does not want to stay.
Determined to leave, he begins building a raft. He works, dreams, rests, and works again.
Eventually, the raft is ready. With hope in his eyes, he sets out into the unknown.
But the sea has other plans.
Defeat
The raft is destroyed.
He tries again—same result. Each time, something unseen beneath the waves tears his raft apart.
Discouraged, broken, and exhausted, the man gives up—not just on the raft, but on hope itself.
Disappointment and Mystery
Eventually, he finds the will to try again. A third raft. One last attempt.
But once more, the same strange force destroys his escape. This time, he sees the culprit: a giant red turtle.
The turtle silently crashes through his work, leaving behind nothing but shattered wood—and deep frustration.
The Red Turtle
Furious and bitter, the man drags himself back to shore. He soon notices the turtle has followed him.
Blinded by rage and despair, he lashes out.
He strikes the creature until it lies still on the sand.
At first, he feels nothing.
But as time passes, regret creeps in.
What has he done?
There’s no undoing it—but somewhere within him, he clings to the fragile hope that it’s not too late.
Nature’s Miracle
Days pass. Then, a quiet miracle:
The red turtle transforms into a woman.
Red-haired, serene, and surreal.
At first, the man believes he’s dreaming. But she’s real—and so is their connection.
He nurses her back to life, and in return, she helps him find life again.
Together, they learn to listen to the rhythms of the island.
To love. To feel. To be healed.
Nature, after all, is not cruel.
She’s just waiting for us to stop and hear her speak.
A Wordless Journey
For 80 minutes, there are no spoken words.
Only the whisper of wind through trees, the chirps of cicadas, the cry of gulls, the crash of waves.
Every sound, every frame tells a story.
We’ve ignored nature’s voice for far too long.
Now it’s time to listen.
Let La Tortue Rouge remind you:
If you let her, nature will heal your wounds too.
And maybe—just maybe—we can ask for forgiveness… and earn a second chance.