Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Cem Lamb This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

leethomas-11621 Delightful fantasy piece. Make of the fable what you will, but the balloon certainly brings a sense of camaraderie to the child - protection from bullies both young and old. And its brightness contrasts with the drabness of his home and neighbourhood. And where are his parents? Wonderful street scenes of the Paris of 1956.

James Hitchcock "The Red Balloon" ("Le Ballon Rouge") is a well-known short by the French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. The film, which lasts just over half an hour, tells a simple story with very little dialogue. One day a young boy named Pascal, while on his way to school, finds a red balloon drifting through the streets of Paris. The balloon appears to have a mind of its own and follows Pascal wherever he goes. It even obeys his commands, remaining outside a shop like a well-behaved dog when he tells it (in one of the few lines of dialogue) "Ballon! Attends-moi la!" The film then follows the adventures of Pascal and the balloon throughout the day. A British or American filmmaker would probably have set this story in the well-trodden tourist quarters with plenty of shots of the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre-Coeur and other landmarks. Lamorisse, however, shot it in the working-class Belleville area with no well-known landmarks in sight. In the fifties Belleville was regarded as a slum area, and many of the buildings shown here were demolished as part of a slum clearance programme in the early sixties. The colours, principally greys, browns and dark blues, are mostly sombre; for most of the film the only bright colour is the red of the balloon, except during a brief sequence in which Pascal meets a little girl who has her own bright blue balloon, which also seems to follow her about. With a theme like this, the film would seem to have been aimed at children, and indeed it has always been popular with younger audiences. It has also, however, been popular with adults who have (as is often the way with adults) tried to find deeper meanings in it. The balloon, which drifts not with the wind but wherever it wants to, becomes a symbol of freedom; it may obey Pascal but only does so because it has befriended him. Its colour, red, has traditionally been the colour of socialism and the Left, so there may be a political subtext here. On the other hand, the balloon has also been seen as a Christian symbol. (It is notable that a church is a prominent feature in many scenes). This element is particularly strong in the scene in which a gang of bullies, envious of Pascal's new toy which also serves as his playmate, destroy the balloon with their catapults. In this context the balloon's colour takes on a very different meaning, because red in Christianity is the colour of martyrdom and sacrifice. The film's ending, in which hundreds of other balloons of many different colours lift Pascal high above the city, can therefore have several meanings. It can be an image of the hope which enables us to rise above our surroundings. It can be symbolic of political liberation. Or it can be an allegory of Christian resurrection. Or it can simply be the charming end to a magical children's film with no deeper meaning. Lamorisse has achieved the difficult feat of making a film which can be one thing to children and another to adults. This feat of condensing so much into a short film meant that, despite the sparseness of its dialogue, "The Red Balloon" became the first, and so far only, short to win the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). 8/10

karmalingpa Back in the '70's and early '80's my elementary school would would show us this short film every year. I just don't get it, at all. A kid finds a balloon. The balloon follows him around. His mother wont let the balloon in the house, so it hovers outside his window (kind of creepy). It is not like I hated it as a kid, but every damn year they showed it to us. Everyone else writing a review seems to love it, God bless them, but I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. Every year, every stinking year, they'd make us sit through this garbage. I have to add another line or IMDb will not let me post this, so that is what this last line is about.

bts1984 This 34-minute fantasy short film is wonderful. It's almost incredible that it was made in 1956 because it's far from looking that old, partially because it's colored and partially because of its film-making. Looks more like something made in the 1970's than 11 years after the end of World War II. Ahead. The ingenuousness of this story captivates, but the way it is told is just as captivating. This isn't a silent tale however it has very little dialog. But it works. The wonderful music by Maurice Le Roux and the images speak for themselves.This is the lovely story of Pascal, a cute and adorable 5/6 year-old child who, while walking through the streets of good old Paris, finds an unexpected but very special friend: a red balloon with a life and mind of its own. The balloon quickly gets fond of his human friend, following him everywhere and patiently waiting for him whatever time it takes. The kid accepts his unusual new friend and together they spend time and have fun in the streets of Paris. The pair draw attentions from society (they don't seem to understand and accept their friendship). Worse is the envy of a group of bullies, who near the ending throw rocks at the innocent balloon. And then one of them intentionally stomps at the dying balloon, killing the poor balloon.The ending is rather childish but undeniably charming and magical: countless balloons come to Pascal and take him on a balloon ride over Paris. It's as if the balloons are taking Pascal to a fantasy world where balloons and children can be happy forever. It's amazing how they did these "tricks" with all those balloons in 1956 and so masterfully!Albert Lamorisse superbly directed this and his own children star in it: his son Pascal Lamorisse plays Pascal, while his daughter Sabine Lamorisse plays the little girl with a blue balloon (equally with a mind of its own). Pascal Lamorisse is magnificent in this role. So is the red balloon, a great "actor" on his own. And the other balloons too.The Paris scenario is very pretty and colorful, accenting the feeling of french charm. 95% of what we see here no longer exists. That is sad. So many good things are sacrificed in the name of progress.This short couldn't be more innocent and sweeter, and yet at the same time it is slightly humorous (in its majority it is) and sad (such is the case when the balloon is cruelly destroyed). It is also a powerful reminder of the age of innocence, when children were really children and were happy with the simple pleasures of life, such as a balloon and wandering around. I still remember when I was a kid and how I'd get so happy over a balloon whenever they bought me one. One simple thing like a balloon was something special. And I am from a time when children still could wander around in some safety. Nowadays you never see children wandering around and they don't appreciate balloons and many other things like the children of my generation and before my generation did.Anyone who loves this has got to love 'Clown' (1968), equally a short film and french and similar in some ways.Title in Portugal: unknown, but it would make every sense to be 'O Balão Vermelho'.