The animated “The Red Turtle” is a silent castaway fable* that explores our connection to the natural world.

    It begins in the middle of a storm, with rain and waves filling the screen and washing the main character up on a beach, his boat now in pieces.

    The tropical island is uninhabited* but for the crabs, caterpillars*, and spiders inching along as birds fly by overhead.

    As time goes by, he begins a series of escape attempts in a makeshift* bamboo raft. But every time he pushes off on his journey, a mysterious force in the water upends* his boat and undermines* his trip.

    What is it? A red turtle.

    Which is where we’ll stop describing the bare-bones* narrative, except to say that this nameless man does not end up being the only human being on the island.

    Dutch animator Michael Dudok de Wit makes his feature-film directorial debut.

    “The Red Turtle” is an elegantly animated mythical* fantasy that seems aimed more squarely* at adults than kids.

    The (mostly) hand-drawn animation is lovely, and its use to tell a story this timeless and universal renders* the film an admirable work of art, which is why it was a nominee for Best Animated Feature in the Oscar race.

    However, it may not have quite the hold on youngsters, responding to it as they would a picture book, that many contemporary, computer-animated features do.

    (SD-Agencies)