User reviews

I add to my commentary that the only place in the world the DVD of this film is available is the USA ( as of September 12 2005). The quality of this pressing and the colours leave to be desired .. they are rather washed out and with plenty of clicks and pops. The DVD is NOT region coded and will work on any machine accepting the NTSC color system. It is therefore better than nothing and will partly satisfy those who have been waiting for years to see this film again !

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.

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 café "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. All this has gone for ever, disappeared into another dimension, and has been replaced by a featureless modern-day park surrounded by ugly high-rise blocks built in the seventies and where it is not always safe to walk alone - the kids there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 ! I personally visited recently on several occasions the site of where this was filmed and couldn't believe my eyes - it was like two different worlds !

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". Only the large church ( Notre-Dame de la Croix, between the Place Maurice Chevalier and the Place de Ménilmontant ) remains today, dwarfed by the high rise blocks I mentioned earlier. Only when you look to the top flats of the houses in the rue des Envierges and the sky beyond, can you maintain the illusion that time has stood still ! The opening scene in the film where Pascal is just about to go down the staircase cannot be reproduced today - both the bakery to his left - and the "Maison du Meunier" to his right (as well as the staircase) have been completely demolished !

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.

The little boy in the film, Pascal Lamorisse, is the son of the director (Albert Lamorisse ). I wonder what has become of him. We here nothing of him today.........

The film unfortunately seems more well-known abroad than in France itself, where it would appear to have fallen into total oblivion, no doubt one day some bright spark will have it remastered and cleaned up and put on to a good quality DVD for future generations of children and adults alike.

Splendid short movie dealing with the fantasy world of children . 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 . Balloon and young boy play together in the streets and slums of Paris and attempt to elude a band of boys that wants to explode the balloon .

This timeless movie displays haunting and powerful scenes , it's plenty of frames which stay forever in the mind and there is almost no dialog spoken . The story is narrated with sensitivity and intelligence and is treated a simple adventure developed in great sense of ductility and fairness . In spite of runtime is short , this is a medium-length film, as the run is 35 minutes , it is entertaining , amusing and funny . The gentle humor developed in the film is clever and agreeable and dealing with fantastic as well as surrealist deeds . The plot is plain and simple though is only set in Parisian streets , it isn't dreary , neither boring but fun . Director tirelessly maintains the humorous ingenuity and including fantasy as when the balloon following the little boy around like a pet . Spectacular as well colorful finale when other balloons of various sizes and colors descend on the boy from all parts of Paris, and together they lift him into the sky and take him away over the horizon . Lively musical score is enjoyable and cheerful . The motion picture received awesome reviews and deserves the complete knowledge , acquiring an international reputation for its poetic quality ; receiving a grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and also winning an American Academy award. In fact , with its Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay, the film is the only short film to win an Academy award outside of the short film categories . The picture is nowadays considered to be an European cult film and it had one of the largest non-theatrical runs in the history of American cinema , as thousands of 16-millimeter prints were distributed to schools across the country.

The motion picture was stunningly directed by Albert Mamorisse , he was born in Paris and was killed, at 58 , in a helicopter crash while shooting a documentary near Teheran . He was former photographer, he turned to directing short subjects in the late 40s, and 50s involving the childhood and fantastic events . His most successful movies were ¨Crin Blanc¨ (1953) also starred by his son Pascal Lamorisse and ¨The Red balloon¨ (1956) , the latter winning an Academy Award , as it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, even though it has little dialogue . In the early 60s he turned to feature length films such as ¨Bim¨ and "Stowaway in the Sky" equally starred by his son Pascal , but with considerably less success, then retreated to documentary shorts . His last picture was ¨Le Vent Des Amoureux¨ (1978), a visually stunning helicopter tour of Iran, was later edited from his notes and was nominated for an Oscar as best feature documentary for the Academy award ceremonies of 1979.

THE RED BALLOON rescued by a small Parisian lad will transform his life in unbelievable ways.

This is a marvelous film, full of love & hope, searing sorrow & overwhelming joy. It is also a classic example of what can be done in a very limited time frame, with a compelling story and genius behind the camera.

The special effects are still entrancing, with wonderful editing & camerawork which turns the byways & alleys of old Paris into the canvas on which this fantasy is painted.

Director Albert Lamorisse's young son, Pascal, is the very fortunate star of this urban fairy tale.

If the tribulations & persecutions of the Red Balloon appear to be a type of Epiphany, that is probably no coincidence.

At just over half-an-hour, The Red Balloon is for me nothing less than a beautiful masterpiece. It is truly enchanting, touching and never fails to warm my heart. Firstly, it is stunning to watch. The cinematography is beautiful and the scenery is magical. Another outstanding asset is the music, is it me or isn't it absolutely beautiful?

The story is very simple, but also very heart-warming and charming. I love the unique friendship between the young boy and the red balloon, for me along with the visuals and a scene that I will mention later this was what made The Red Balloon so good. The Red Balloon apart from the reactions of the children and the young boy is almost dialogue-less, but I think it works that way.

And I have to say Pascal Lamorisse responds very naturally to his father's adept direction and to his surrounding and does so in a very endearing and adorable way. The message of loyalty and love over cruelty and envy is admittedly weighty especially with a story so simple, but Albert Lamorisse carries it off with panache. My favourite scene has to be the joyous and heart-warming balloon-filled finale, which was a treat visually too. The Red Balloon moves very briskly so I was never bored or dissatisfied.

Overall, a beautiful masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I wonder, is there any other 30 minute short produced in the history of film that is more enchanting and moving than "Le Ballon rouge"?

The vivid colors and the wonderful use of Paris scenery is only part of the experience, another large part is the touching performance by the director's six year old son Pascal in the lead (how lucky he didn't fall and break his neck in that opening scene where he finds the balloon!). The look on his face in the final scene is every bit as heartbreaking as that of Jackie Coogan in Chaplin's legendary "The Kid". The whole movie is reminiscent of the best Chaplin had to offer, mixed with a little Jacques Tati and a touch of storybook fantasy. On the basis of only *one* *short* film Albert Lamorisse will forever see his name in gold print in the annals of movie history, which is quite an achievement!

It will tear your heart with joy, fascination, sorrow and spellbind you with jubilation in just 30 minutes! A true classic, well deserving of it's screenplay Oscar, only a demon could be cold enough in his heart to dislike it!

Now pleeeaaase; release it on DVD!

Le Ballon Rouge is a masterpiece in Short Film making. It tells the story of the day of a life of a parisian boy who finds a red balloon on his way to school. Or rather it finds him. Everybody, it seems is rather keen to see the boy get rid of the balloon. He arrives at school and is not allowed to bring the balloon in with him. He lets it go and it flies off, only to be waiting for him at the end of the day, hovering outside in the school yard. Further adventures ensue throughout the day culminating in a spectacular ending for the boy. It is wonderfully directed by Albert Lamorisse. This fantasy is elegant in direction and editing on the screen. The acting is understated and quite delightful. It has always been my favourite of all Short Films. I wonder if it exists as a theatrical print. I've only ever seen it on TV. I'd love to see it projected.

This is one of the first films I remember seeing. My grandfather was kind enough to record it off of television for me when I was only one or two years old. I remember enjoying it alot as a very young child and I enjoy this film just as much, if not even more, today. I can appreciate the story more, now that I'm older. It is one of the truly best short films ever made, right up there with the best of Chaplin and other great short-film makers.

Wow, I thought of this film recently and remember it fondly. So, I looked it up on IMDb, hoping that this hadn't been a dream, and that it really existed. I wish I could see this film again today.

A little boy is chosen by a red balloon, which colours his otherwise dreary, grey days. I was shown this film in class in kindergarten (late '70s) and again in grade school, I believe. When I first saw it, it was with a rather existential, perhaps detached, view of it. Not much reaction, really. I didn't quite know what to make of it. Fortunately, I didn't rely on a little gang of pals to tell me what to think about it. I had never seen anything like it. It struck me that it was foreign. I liked that about it. The foreignness intrigued me, also the fact that it was old. It always impressed me how kids wore little grown-up shoes in '50s Europe. The quietness of the little boy, Pascal, also had a profound impact on me. I never understood the need for us kids in the U.S. to constantly yak about endless bull**** in order to feel secure. We never enjoy the silence. This carries on into adulthood. There's meaningless small talk, endless jibber jabber, all in an effort to hide, behind voluminous verbiage, our true sensitive selves from the big bad world. There's an existentialist problem for you. If there are any xenophobic misgivings against "the French," it's because they've long faced the human condition in a way that we as "Americans" are far too infantile as a culture to do; and, at this point, far too stunted with cultural arrested development to ever hope to do so.

I suppose the cruel little boys in the film symbolised the barbaric/insensitive "American" sensibility which I had grown used to. And the story the film conveys through such brilliant, yet simple, symbolism illumines such a range of themes—from xenophobia, alienation, solitude and introspection to friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. Simply brilliant. This film probably taught me more than a handful of my first years of schooling combined. By the time I saw this film the second time my eyes were filled with wonder and, toward the end of the film, welled over with tears.

At 34 minutes the term "movie" represents a bit of a stretch for this delightful 1956 classic children's film. Like a Christo's "Gates" abstract art piece from Central Park in 2002, the vibrant red of the balloon is visually striking against the blacks and grays of post-invasion Paris. The relationship between the boy and the balloon, his efforts to protect it from the dangers of the teachers, adults and particularly the other boys makes for a compelling narrative despite the near complete lack of dialog. This combined with an inspiring ending make this a must see (particularly since it takes just a little more time than your average "Hannah Montana" episode.

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.

This film is one of my all-time favorites. I consider it a masterpiece, and an emotionally moving experience. As an allegory on the power of love and friendship, it is unsurpassed. Yet one senses deeper, more profound meanings with the balloon as a symbol of the spirit and resilience of life itself, being able to mutate and regenerate itself in an endless flow of passion.

Last time I watched this film, I was a school kid and watched it on a black and white television. So it was more the grey balloon. Now many years later I got the opportunity to watch it in high definition. It certainly rekindled memories of my younger days and the film certainly retains it charms, in fact its power and influence has grown.

Having visited Paris many times, it seems rather eerie to see the Paris of yesteryear, much of which no longer exists with very few recognizable picture postcard scenes of the city. The film is simple, charming but with a technical brilliance as the filmmakers used thin wires to control the balloon.

The plot involves a young boy who finds a bright red balloon and it simply starts to follow him everywhere with seemingly sentient abilities. Soon other kids want to take it away from him and even destroy it. The film has little dialogue and a good use of music and colour.

The film might be deemed to be a parable, the importance of friendship and might also have religious overtones. The boy, who happens to be the director's son is charming. This short film deserves its reputation and all the awards it won.

I can't recall where I first saw this film I only remember that I was very young and that it left a lasting impression on me. It was some 20 years later that I saw it again only for the second time and it brought back such fond memories. For me this movie is magical and brings out feelings of love, sadness and finally one of sear joy. I feel this is a movie for all ages and is a timeless classic. I've seen many movies over the years and for a movie to stay with you like this one has for me says something. Sadly I have had a hard time trying to find this movie in video stores and it rarely runs on TV which is unfortunate. But to the general public if you ever get the chance to see this classic by all means do.

What can one possibly say about a film of thirty-five minutes length featuring a boy and a balloon? Its apparent simplicity is deceptive as it says so many things about human nature: the distrust of the mass for the individual who is perceived as being different, the meanness of petty officialdom and I am sorry to say, the inherent spitefulness of children. Technically the film is superb and the bright red of the balloon contrasted with the drabness of post-war, run-down Belleville is a masterstroke. The inanimate object taking on a life of its own is pure magic. Splendid score by Maurice Leroux. Most of the budget went on the balloons, over 25,000 of them, but it is worth every franc as the final scene is one of the most unforgettable in film. The director's son Pascal plays the boy and little sister Sabine is the girl with the blue balloon. Father and son collaborated once more on the longer and more lavish 'Stowaway in the Sky' with far less success. Director Albert Lamorisse was killed in a helicopter crash in Tehran in 1970 but this little gem and his earlier 'Crin Blanc' about a boy and a horse, guarantee his cinematic immortality. Since receiving a standing ovation when first shown 'out of competition' at Cannes, it has been loved by the public, praised by critics and heaped with awards. The film deserves but one adjective: miraculous.

Of those who have expressed their feelings about THE RED BALLOON, most have seen it with wonderous eyes through the vision of childhood. I first saw it theatrically when it played in Salt Lake. I would see it several more times in theatres over the years. Later, I acquired a Technicolor 16mm print of the film, which I will be showing to a group of families this evening as part of their New Year's Eve 2003 celebration. It will be interesting to see if the film's magic still works. For me, THE RED BALLOON is something of allegory. The little boy is like many of us in the world -- searching for meaning, friends, love. Into his life comes something very beautiful, something that brings him great delight and joy. The adults around him have no use or time for this intruder. The children are fascinated by it. When they can not posesse the balloon for themselves, they destroy it. The balloon resurrects itself and gathers in all the other balloons of Paris. They lift the boy and carry him off into a world not subject to hate and destruction and uncaring. In a way, the balloon is a Christ like figure that is rejected by mankind -- finally murdered -- and then resurrects. THE RED BALLOON is a beautiful film on whatever level a viewer cares to look at it. It remains one of those special, magical films that only comes along once in a great while!

For a one-reeler,this work can boast numerous comments:not one of them-bar one- comes from France!Since its success in the festival de Cannes 1956,Albert Lamorisse's short film was relegated to purgatory.Often dismissed by French critics as bland ,mushy and arty,it sank slowly but inexorably into oblivion.The other countries have always had a warm spot for it.And they are right.

If you were a young student in the late fifties/early sixties,"le ballon rouge" was one of your initiation books.After 1968,the story almost completely disappeared from textbooks.

Actually it was new wave "avant l'heure"! Filmed in the streets of Paris -as Varda ,Truffault and countless others would do afterwards-,its form was innovative .And the red balloon ,against the grey walls of the French capital,it's "Schindler's list" brainwave in 1956!Some details date the movie -the verger(or "suisse")in the church- but they inspire its vital charm:those old schools of long ago,those alleys full of little hoodlums ,those buses where dogs,cats and...balloons are not allowed,those countries you long to see a long way from your colorlessness,in a nutshell,those memories you keep deep in your heart when you become a grown-up,all this and more come back when you see "le ballon rouge" ,one of the two imperishable French childhood monuments.The other is Yves Robert's "la guerre des boutons".

NB:singer Renaud was an extra,as one of the twins.

A famous French short film about a kid who finds a balloon (to no one's surprise, it is red) and he forms an attachment to it, taking it around with him everywhere. Eventually, it reveals itself to be sentient, and it ends up more like a pet than an inanimate object. Bullies don't really understand what's going on and try to destroy the balloon, then I as a viewer didn't really understand what was going on when the film ends in a strange (but admittedly memorable) way.

Feels like a bit of an anomaly of a film; not really sure what else it could be compared to. I vaguely remember watching years ago during a university course, and it turns out it had stuck with me fairly well, because a good deal of it felt familiar.

With a simple story and minimal dialogue, it managed to win a best screenplay award at the Oscars, surprisingly (I guess the creativity was what did it). It's also the only short film to get a screenplay award at the Oscars.

Overall, can't say it was bad. There's definitely something to it, and the visuals are great. Not entirely sure what to make of it, but pretty sure it's good.

There are three short films that I can recall watching when I was a child - 'The Telephone box', which was a very disturbing tale from Spain (apparently, I have since learnt, it was made for Spanish TV), a rather odd film about a world contained within a dandelion (and that is about all I can recall about it, I can not even remember its title), and 'The Red Balloon'.

Of all these it is the Red Balloon that brings back the greatest memories of my own childhood. 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! That is about it, and the ending, which is very sad! A few years ago my local cinema managed to obtain a crisp new print of the film, and I watched the film through the eyes of an adult. This gave me a new insight into the film, and now I realise that the film is not just about friendship, but also about dealing with the world at large, growing up, lost innocence etc. 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.

It is my hope to see the film again in, say, 20/30 years time, ie when I am reaching the autumn of my life, and to see if the magic holds up through the eyes of an older man.