Most of French director Albert Lamorisse's films celebrate the miracle of flight, but few were as landmark as his 1956 short subject The Red Balloon. The story, told with a minimum of dialogue, concerns a little boy (played by the director's son Pascal) who comes across a helium-filled balloon. As he plays with his new acquisition, the boy discovers that the balloon seemingly has a mind of its own. The little red orb follows its new "master" all through the streets of Paris, then dogs the boy's trail into the schoolroom, ...
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Most of French director Albert Lamorisse's films celebrate the miracle of flight, but few were as landmark as his 1956 short subject The Red Balloon. The story, told with a minimum of dialogue, concerns a little boy (played by the director's son Pascal) who comes across a helium-filled balloon. As he plays with his new acquisition, the boy discovers that the balloon seemingly has a mind of its own. The little red orb follows its new "master" all through the streets of Paris, then dogs the boy's trail into the schoolroom, which drives the teacher to comic distraction. Towards the end, it seems as though boy and balloon will be parted forever....but director Lamorisse has a delightful surprise in store for us. In an unusual move, The Red Balloon in its American TV premiere was introduced by Ronald Reagan as an episode of the CBS anthology G.E. Theater on April 2, 1961. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Pascal Lamorisse, Georges Sellier. New. 1956 Run time: 50. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
I watched this movie every year as a child in elementary school. It was a very slow movie. There were a couple of times it made me almost smile-almost. You watch this child follow this balloon everywhere. It seems as if the balloon taunts him. Even for the smallest of minds it was a complete waste of time. Yes, even as a small child, I was bored to death and hoped to return to the class room for a day of work. Anything would have been better than to have had to sit through watching that balloon any longer! Apparently someone had to have liked it to have remade it in the 80's, and to make us watch it every year as if it were a true classic. I will say that I was not one of them, and would hate to see anyone waste their time or money on this film.