The Red Balloon: The World Through the Eyes of Innocence
As every child knows, toys are alive. They have emotions and personality, and they become our friends through our interactions with them.
Based on this simple premise, French director Albert Lamorisse threaded a magical tale of innocence, friendship and hope that has captivated the world for generations since its release in 1956.
One sleepy gray morning, on his way to school, Pascal finds a large red balloon tied on a lamppost. Without a second though, he clambers the post and rescues the balloon.
One sleepy gray morning, on his way to school, Pascal finds a large red balloon tied on a lamppost. Without a second though, he clambers the post and rescues the balloon.
It is the beginning of a wonderful friendship, one which we witness from start to finish through a succession of vignettes that flow on the screen, like postcards from an era gone by.
Director, writer and producer, Albert Lamorisse had already explored the subject of uncanny friendships in his short film ‘Crin Blanc’ (‘White Mane’, 1953), itself a winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes for Best Short Film in 1953.
In this black and white film, a fisher boy strikes a friendship with a spirited wild horse escaping capture in the French marshlands.
Video - Le Ballon Rouge Part 1/4 (9:06")
Director, writer and producer, Albert Lamorisse had already explored the subject of uncanny friendships in his short film ‘Crin Blanc’ (‘White Mane’, 1953), itself a winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes for Best Short Film in 1953.
In this black and white film, a fisher boy strikes a friendship with a spirited wild horse escaping capture in the French marshlands.
But if the friendship in this film has a rough start and is interrupted by several other characters, the relationship of Pascal (played by the director’s son, Pascal Lamorisse) with the red balloon starts with ease and few other people are involved.
Yet, in both cases, it is trust and mutual respect that cements their bonds of friendship.
In addition to his carefully studied camera frames and angles, in ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ Lamorisse exploits the element of colour masterfully, deftly playing with light and shadow, shades and hues to suggest and instill emotions, painting veritable canvasses of emotion on the screen.
Stylistically, the film works on a visual level due to the stark contrast of the bright red of the balloon against the gray landscape of a city still fresh from WWII.
Video - Le Ballon Rouge, Part 2/4 (9:05")
In addition to his carefully studied camera frames and angles, in ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ Lamorisse exploits the element of colour masterfully, deftly playing with light and shadow, shades and hues to suggest and instill emotions, painting veritable canvasses of emotion on the screen.
Stylistically, the film works on a visual level due to the stark contrast of the bright red of the balloon against the gray landscape of a city still fresh from WWII.
Even Pascal’s clothes are gray so as not to compete with the brightness of the balloon. The balloon, huge, round and brightly red is a visual metaphor of life, innocence and joy.
Probably one of the best virtues of this film, and one that has made it so appealing and approachable across cultures and ages, is that we don’t need to know French or read any subtitles to understand it. There’s precious little dialogue, and the few words spoken are accompanied by clear actions that immediately reveal their meaning.
Moreover, the music by Maurice Le Roux - composed in the sentimental manner of the 1940's films - punctuates every action and emotion displayed, playing a fundamental role in providing a ‘voice’ to the balloon and complementing the action, highlighting the themes of innocence and hope with a sweet leitmotiv repeated throughout the film.
Part of the enduring charm of ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ is the realism achieved in the balloon’s movement, at a time when special effects were rudimentary or simply non-existing.
Video - Le Ballon Rouge, Part 3/4 (6:03")
Probably one of the best virtues of this film, and one that has made it so appealing and approachable across cultures and ages, is that we don’t need to know French or read any subtitles to understand it. There’s precious little dialogue, and the few words spoken are accompanied by clear actions that immediately reveal their meaning.
Moreover, the music by Maurice Le Roux - composed in the sentimental manner of the 1940's films - punctuates every action and emotion displayed, playing a fundamental role in providing a ‘voice’ to the balloon and complementing the action, highlighting the themes of innocence and hope with a sweet leitmotiv repeated throughout the film.
Video - Le Ballon Rouge, Part 4/4 (8:26")
Part of the enduring charm of ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ is the realism achieved in the balloon’s movement, at a time when special effects were rudimentary or simply non-existing.
A secret that Albert Lamorisse kept well hidden and that defies all speculations. Is it cables? Strings? A tele-guided toy plane? It’s magic. The balloon is simply alive, and that’s how we are meant to see it.
However, life is not all sweetness and innocence.
However, life is not all sweetness and innocence.
In the midst of his fairy tale, Lamorisse reminds us that envy, hatred and violence are also around us, and they may scare us, threaten us, and sometimes even win. What to do, then, when that happens?
The film provides its answer in an unforgettable, elegiac ending.
Among the awards received by ‘The Red Balloon’ are the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Festival (1956), the Gold Medal of French Cinema (1956), The Prix Luois Delluc (1956), a BAFTA Special Award (1957), an award for Best Foreign Film at the Mexico Film Festival (1958), and the Gold Medal at the Tokyo Film Festival (1958).
Worthy of special mention is its Oscar win for Original Screenplay (1956), written by Lamorisse himself, making ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ the only short film in the history of cinema to receive this award in a main category.
In 2007, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Musée d'Orsay commissioned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien to create a feature film based on the beloved short, as part of a project to honor icons of French culture.
Conceived as a tribute to Albert Lamorisse, ‘Voyage du Ballon Rouge’ (Flight of the Red Balloon) is, however, a film entirely different in nature to its source of inspiration, and while it does provide moments of inspiration and tenderness, it may prove a disappointment for those seeking the same candour and magical poetics of the original.
The first time I watched ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ I was about Pascal’s age. Needless to say, the short left a huge impression on me and remained since a perennial favorite.
For those historically inclined, the film presents a nostalgic visit to a post-war Paris already lost in time.
The area of the city where it was filmed, Mnilmontant, was demolished and re-urbanized only a few years after the film was released. The film, thus, remains as a visual testament of its existence: an era and a place frozen in time.
Since its release in 1956, the film was such a success that it spawned a children’s book, authored by Lamorisse, with photo stills from the film which was republished in 1975 and it’s still in print by Penguin/Random House.
Among the awards received by ‘The Red Balloon’ are the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Festival (1956), the Gold Medal of French Cinema (1956), The Prix Luois Delluc (1956), a BAFTA Special Award (1957), an award for Best Foreign Film at the Mexico Film Festival (1958), and the Gold Medal at the Tokyo Film Festival (1958).
Worthy of special mention is its Oscar win for Original Screenplay (1956), written by Lamorisse himself, making ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ the only short film in the history of cinema to receive this award in a main category.
In 2007, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Musée d'Orsay commissioned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien to create a feature film based on the beloved short, as part of a project to honor icons of French culture.
Conceived as a tribute to Albert Lamorisse, ‘Voyage du Ballon Rouge’ (Flight of the Red Balloon) is, however, a film entirely different in nature to its source of inspiration, and while it does provide moments of inspiration and tenderness, it may prove a disappointment for those seeking the same candour and magical poetics of the original.
The first time I watched ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ I was about Pascal’s age. Needless to say, the short left a huge impression on me and remained since a perennial favorite.
But you don’t need to be a child to let yourself captivated by this short, only the sensitivity to understand its poetry, and the wish to be transported to a time of simplicity and innocence where toys are alive, miracles happen and magic is waiting just around the corner.
Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia, AlloCine.fr, Cine-Ressources.net.
Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia, AlloCine.fr, Cine-Ressources.net.
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