Le ballon rouge (The Red Balloon)

[pro-bassoonist]

Albert Lamorisse's classic Le ballon rouge a.k.a The Red Balloon (1956) is set to be released in the UK on September 28. Winner of the Palme d'Or award for Best Short Film, and an Oscar for Best Writing, Best Screenplay. Courtesy of Network.

EyeForFilm:

This short film won the Oscar for best screenplay, the Prix Louis Delluc for Albert Lamorisse and the Palme D’Or of 1956. Why? Because it is a rare masterpiece. It is a fantastic story, told in the most minimalist way, with very few lines of dialogue, from a child’s perspective.

The lack of any embroidery makes it timeless and yet its very simplicity is its towering achievement because it is an allegory on the power of love and the perseverance and loyalty that forms part of friendship. In 30 minutes we are treated to a story that teaches us more about the resilience of the human spirit and the triumphs it can achieve over hardships and injustices than many films three or four times as long. More than that, it reveals how nature can change in order to make the seemingly impossible happen. This is a true testament to all that is good.
Copy picture

The performance of the director’s six-year old son, Pascal Lamorisse, who, with the red balloon, dominates the film, is nothing short of miraculous. Touching, true, endearing, his performance is crucial to the success of the film, and boy does he deliver.

The essence of the story is that this little boy, like most of us, is searching for something meaningful in a life that is mundane and into it comes something beautiful and rare, the red balloon, which shows him unswerving loyalty and devotion. The balloon brings him great joy and simple delight as he develops a relationship with it. The adults have little time for the balloon, but the other children all want to possess it. When they cannot do so, they choose to destroy it. However, the balloon does not allow the boy to be downcast.

The cinematography is great – the special effects with the balloon are captivating (particularly given that it was filmed in 1956) and the wonderful camerawork and editing really bring the alleyways of Paris to life. It is sad that Belleville, where it was filmed, was razed to the ground in the late 1960s but wonderful that we have this visual record of Paris past. The music also makes a significant contribution to the film’s success. The gentle melody that accompanies the balloon somehow allows us to participate in the magic of believing that a balloon, trailing a bit of string, can display devotion, intelligence, wit and loyalty and the ability to resurrect itself.

On whatever level you view this film, it is beautiful in its simplicity and sincerity. It is a magical film that remains with you long after you watch it. Indeed, it is not something you will easily forget for the rest of your life. This is a huge compliment to pay a short film that has, until now, unjustly slipped into oblivion. To see it resurrected on DVDs alongside White Mane and The Flight Of The Red Balloon is an enormous pleasure and one it richly deserves. This film should be required viewing.

The Red Balloon Blu-ray

The Red Balloon Blu-ray Review

Pro-B

[pacificvibes]

Is that the same kid and his balloon from the Netflix commercial, where he's running down the street???

[mikejet]

I remember seeing this as a kid. It's a great film.

[pro-bassoonist]

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the commercial. But this is the original film, not the remake by Hou Hsaio-Hsien.

Pro-B

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the commercial. But this is the original film, not the remake by Hou Hsaio-Hsien.

Pro-B

I know, sorry. It just looked similar.

[pro-bassoonist]

Criterion released the original on a budget DVD in the US, so you could take a look at it. Truly a fantastic, classic film!

Pro-B

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Criterion released the original on a budget DVD in the US, so you could take a look at it. Truly a fantastic, classic film!

Pro-B

I'll take a look at it

[pro-bassoonist]

Pro-B

[Bruce Morrison]

I agree it's a wonderfully touching film. I'm amazed that it's coming out on Blu-ray though - I thought it had quietly slipped into oblivion by now.

[jacobb1313]

Um... I hope this film never slips into oblivion. I also hope they use the same remastered Janus film print I saw in the States - the quality was perfect (like the film itself). I cannot wait to add this to my collection.

[pro-bassoonist]

Update:

Moved to January 18m 2010.

Pro-B

[John Hodson]

Network themselves say November 2?

[pro-bassoonist]

Update:

The distribs have confirmed that White Mane will be included in the same package.

The Red Balloon and White Mane remain timeless and wonderful children’s classics. Unseen for years, these award-winning short films have been recently restored so as to present them in the best possible picture quality. The two films were both directed by the award-winning Albert Lamorisse, a man who the New York Times has described as “...a remarkable artist: one of the cinema’s best poets and a fearless explorer of the scary and exhilarating outbacks of the imagination.”

THE RED BALLOON
The award-winning and critically acclaimed fantasy short film directed by Albert Lamorisse follows the relationship between a little boy and a red balloon with a mind of its own that he befriends on the Parisian streets. Widely recognised as one of the most important films in children’s cinema, this 1956 classic is the only dialogue-free film to win an Oscar for Best Screenplay.

WHITE MANE
The 1953 French classic and winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes tells the tale of a boy who tames a wild stallion called White Mane. Filmed in the marshes of the Camargue in south-west France, White Mane is a beautiful journey into the wilderness that remains a groundbreaking work of children’s cinema to this day.

Special Features (SD):

[] Mon Père était un Ballon Rouge - documentary on Albert Lamorisse
[] L’enfant Qui Ne Souriait Pas - documentary on the main actor of Crin Blanc

Pro-B

[John Hodson]

...and they've also changed the date to Jan. 18. Pro-B - always ahead of the game

[pro-bassoonist]

They sure did

Pro-B

[Louisville Slugger]

When someone receives this, please confirm if it is region free and if the transfer is any good!

[pro-bassoonist]

We will have a review shortly.

Pro-B

[rezpekt]

DVDBeaver's review

Seems like a good disc, but the colours look a bit too blueish when compared to Criterion's DVD.

[HumanMedia]

Originally Posted by rezpekt

DVDBeaver's review

Seems like a good disc, but the colours look a bit too blueish when compared to Criterion's DVD.

DVDbeaver dont have their Blu-ray- replay - screendump process ISF calibrated. All of their Blu-ray screengrabs look blue-ish with crushed blacks.

[kndy]

Fantastic! It is a bit bluish but I doubt we are going to see Criterion release this on Blu in the US. Surprised by the White Mane's upper right corner.

But aside from watching these two in 1080p my main interests are the two documentaries included. Will definitely pick this one up!