Esio Trot- How a Moive About a Tortoise Found its Way into My Heart

It is hard not to fall in love with a movie that succeeds in making me laugh hysterically out loud within the first two minutes of the story.

Esio Trot, a British comedy based on a children’s book by Roald Dahl, explores the life of Mr. Hoppy (Dustin Hoffman) who sets out on an arduous, convoluted, complicated journey to win the heart of his neighbour Mrs. Silver (Judi Dench). Their love story is a peculiar one, in which their fates lie in the hands of Mrs. Silver’s pet tortoise called Alfie. In response to Mrs. Silver’s wish that her affectionate pet somehow grow large, Mr. Hoppy comes up with a cunning plan to make her wish come true by convincing her to recite a magic spell whilst secretly replacing her tortoise with a larger one.

Roald Dahl, the writer of this witty tale, continues to be regarded as an iconic storytellers today. His writing style involves humour and sarcasm, which is often used to epitomize the absurdity of his characters.

An example of Dahl’s style is when he has Mrs. Silver describe herself as, “the brightest bulb on the chandelier”. We are later told that Mrs. Silver, “dedicated all her love and attention to her wrinkly companion”. The relationship between Mrs. Silver and her tortoise seems prepterous, but is truly entertaining. Dahl succeeds in grasping our attention through his slightly irreverent writing style.

There are many factors, which I believe have contributed to the movie’s success. One of the most significant factors is the director’s adaptation of the story. In an interview with IFTN, Dearbhla Walsh mentions how she believes that the book has “emotional blackness” in its exploration of the theme of “not finding love in your life and being alone until the day you die”. This has led her to the idea of perceiving tortoises in the story as a metaphor, because Mr. Hoppy ends up “coming out of his shell” to confess his love for Mrs. Silver. The way in which Walsh has managed to understand how Dahl’s story revolves around real life experiences brings out the true delight embedded in the story.

Another facet of the movie, which I found fascinating, is the use of colours. In the film, Mrs. Silver is dressed in floral patterns that consist of light blue, bright yellow, and a hint of red. This seems to symbolise the joy and comfort she finds in her relationship with Alfie. On the other hand, Mr. Hoppy wears drab shirts, waistcoats, and trousers. In fact, he dresses in a single shade: brown. This reflects the simplicity of his lifestyle, but also his loneliness. Walsh’s use of colour reveal his obvious contrast between the two. However, we are thrown off guard when we spot Mrs. Silver wearing a bright red gown with no patterns for her charity ball. In this scene we instantly recognise the deeply hidden passion within her, which she does not express in her life. Therefore, we come to a sudden realization that Mrs. Silver relates to the sense of abandonment that Mr. Hoppy feels as he spends his days by himself. Walsh cleverly shows that despite being polar opposites, there seems to be an irresistible attraction? between the two characters.

Esio Trot is a love story like no other. The splendid cast takes us on a heart-warming adventure that explores the meaning of love and affection.