Wick's Review

Summary - Really Great 4.5

A boy and his pet balloon amble through vivacious Parisian streets in this perfect childhood confection. Just over half-an-hour long, Le Ballon Rouge won more awards than you can hold in two hands and deserves to be a preschool favorite for every girl and boy to this day.

Just when you think it can’t get any better, the boy and his red balloon pass a pretty blonde girl with a blue balloon. Of course the red balloon doubles back, attracted to the blue balloon. The balloons have minds of their own, even as they are filmic proxies for the boy’s mind … and the girl’s. Filmmaking gets no more elementally perfect.

Utterly charming before becoming profoundly sad, Albert Lamorisse’s masterpiece then cleverly turns uplifting again in the end. Pixar’s Up did it no better.

Plus it works in any language since there is no dialogue.

Lamorisse also made White Mane, another treasured kid’s short.

Acting - Really Great 4.5

Filmmaker Albert Lamorisse cast his six year old son Pascal as the boy with a balloon. Adorable kid.

And who played the pretty little blond girl that he and his balloon are attracted to? His little sister Sabine.

Film - Perfect 5.0

The Red Balloon won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at the ‘57 Academy Awards. The French award for a film from France isn’t so surprising. The Oscar is, seeing as how the film is only half an hour long and involves no dialog.

Edge - Tame 1.3

Reality - Surreal 2.4

2 Comments

• Wick Jun 4, 2013 10:51PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  Thanks Bri. I’ve captured this and White Mane in French Treats for Tots, a ViewList that young parents can use during rainy day emergencies.

• BrianSez Jun 4, 2013 2:27PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  I remember seeing this movie a long time ago and really enjoying it. Great write-up.

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