The Red Balloon is a classic French film directed by Albert Lamorisse in 1956. It tells the story of a young boy named Pascal who finds a magical, red balloon that seems to have a life of its own. As he navigates through the streets of Paris with the balloon in tow, Pascal encounters a series of challenges and adventures.
One of the central themes of The Red Balloon is the importance of imagination and the power of make-believe. Pascal's relationship with the balloon is a clear example of this theme. The balloon is not a real, living being, but Pascal's imagination allows him to see it as such. He talks to the balloon, gives it a personality, and even names it. The balloon becomes a source of joy and comfort for Pascal, providing him with an escape from the mundane realities of his everyday life.
Another theme of The Red Balloon is the idea of friendship and companionship. Pascal's relationship with the balloon serves as a metaphor for the importance of having someone or something to rely on. The balloon is always there for Pascal, never judging or criticizing him. It is a constant presence, a loyal friend who is always there to support him.
A third theme of The Red Balloon is the power of the collective. As Pascal travels through the streets of Paris with the balloon, he is joined by a group of other children who are drawn to the balloon's magic. Together, they form a community, united by their shared love for the balloon. This theme is particularly evident when the group of children work together to protect the balloon from a group of bullies who try to steal it.
In conclusion, The Red Balloon is a heartwarming tale that highlights the importance of imagination, friendship, and the power of the collective. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to touch on universal themes that resonate with audiences of all ages.
Stream Duck & the Red Balloon by One Tram Band
We here nothing of him today. Retrieved 22 September 2018. Eventually, they manage to destroy this balloon to ensure that Pascal is like them; sad and gloom with no future. This is a famous very short film half hour in which a big red balloon follows a little boy everywhere he goes. By the 1960s, the area was so bad, the Parisian government demolish the area as a slum-clearance effort.
The whole movie is reminiscent of the best Chaplin had to offer, mixed with a little Jacques Tati and a touch of storybook fantasy. Le Voyage en Ballon has been on CD a couple of times, but for this release, Chris Malone has done major work on it and it now sounds better than it ever has. Soon other kids want to take it away from him and even destroy it. Of course, if this was acting, it was great acting, and how good to hear that the film has resurfaced. So it was more the grey balloon. Not much reaction, really.
"The Red Balloon" by Albert Lamorisse Film Analysis
Splendid short movie dealing with the fantasy world of children. His Paris is rather washed-out, although its grayness seems heightened so that the balloon appears more red, more alive; the city never seems just drab or rainy, but to exist in contrast to the title character. All this has gone for ever, disappeared into another dimension, and has been replaced by a featureless modern-day park surrounded by ugly high-rise blocks built in the seventies and where it is not always safe to walk alone - the kids there certainly aren't running about after balloons these days, they're more interested in throwing stones at passers-by! This short film deserves its reputation and all the awards it won. Everyone is born with some happiness assigned to him or her; however, as one grows, society takes away this felicity. Ninety-five percent of what you see in the film exists no more, the bakeries, the famous Y-shaped staircase situated just beyond the equally famous cafĂŠ "Au Repos de la Montagne" , the long-gone steep steps of the rue Vilin where Pascal finds the balloon initially etc, the waste ground where all the battles took place. In my opinion, I wouldn't have gave them best original screenplay, because there were way better written screenplays in 1956 than this.
The Red Balloon / Le voyage en ballon Soundtrack (1956, 1960)
Paris and its streets. We never enjoy the silence. I wonder if it exists as a theatrical print. . It was the best thing in the film. It is bound to happen especially when there is so much hate around.
Probably, these adults had their balloons taken away in their childhood and they do not understand why Pascal would cling to his happiness while they lost theirs. Notes on Short Film. I remember enjoying it alot as a very young child and I enjoy this film just as much, if not even more, today. I love the inquisitive looks from adults and children. Running from schoolwork to helping back at home, children have little happiness.
It is by our side as we run through the streets of Paris, avoiding danger, falling in love, being saved, and finally, hopefully, borne aloftâaway from sorrow and into the airâby all the balloons of Paris. That is about it, and the ending, which is very sad! And the story the film conveys through such brilliant, yet simple, symbolism illumines such a range of themesĂâfrom xenophobia, alienation, solitude and introspection to friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. It's a heartwarming story of a little boy who encounters a bright red balloon amid the dull and dreary landscape of his Parisian neighborhood. I wonder what has become of him. Wow, I thought of this film recently and remember it fondly. One or two shots are taken in Montmartre and there is a brief glimpse of the Seine but be advised that the quasi-totality of the film was shot in Belleville and the adjacent "quartier des Pyrenees".
When I hummed the theme tune through, tears came to my eyes. Attitudes of adults and children. Having a special companion makes that experience more manageable and less terrifying. 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! And they are right. They thought it was great. I think the reason why this wonderful little film has remained a favourite over the years is because of this, the fact that its simple narrative contains enough to relate so much more than the surface.
And the red balloon ,against the grey walls of the French capital,it's "Schindler's list" brainwave in 1956! One would only guess by the fact that it sees a girl with a pink balloon and thus follows. I later happened to catch it on TV, while my parents were watching, a few years later. . What appealed to me was the simplicity of it, just a little boy, about my own age when I first saw the film, befriended by a red balloon, which causes fun and chaos wherever they go! Retrieved 9 May 2020. I'm so glad in 2008 that Criterion made this beautiful film available on DVD with an excellent transfer. I didn't find any message of anti-war or pro-religion in this.
A red balloon with a life of its own follows a little boy Pascal Lamorisse , son of director Albert Lamorisse around the streets of Paris. Have students write a review of the movie based on a theme. THE RED BALLOON is a beautiful film on whatever level a viewer cares to look at it. Retrieved 22 September 2018. .
This truly magical and picturesque film is the colour record of the Belleville area of Paris which was razed to the ground during the late 1960's and left as waste land for 20 years. Balloons from all over the city come to the boy and take him up in the air, away from the cruelty of the other children. Children are expected to do many things that are either unachievable or hard for them to achieve leaving little or no space for hem to be happy and enjoy life. THE RED BALLOON: Main Titles 2. During a mysterious and haunting scene in a flea market, set to the lonely strains of a distant violin, Pascal comes face-to-face with an antique, nearly life-size painting of an isolated girl, while the balloon confronts itself in a mirror. Picture quality in the film is excellent and the weather seems to have been quite fine when they made it though I hasted to add that the recent DVD does not render justice to this.
