Red Balloon, Le Balloon Rouge,

Red Balloon, "Le Balloon Rouge," is a 1956 French short film written and directed by Albert Lamorisse. The genre of this film is basically fantasy, and is a wonderful children-family movie. The movie, which is only thirty-four minutes long, follows a young boy, Pascal, played by the director's son Pascal, through the streets of Paris.

French filmmaker, Lamorisse, made this classic short about a lonely Parisian boy who is befriended by a large red balloon, which seems to have a will and mind of its own, and basically refuses to be abandoned by the boy.

Tom Keogh notes that as with Lamorisse's preceding short film, the 1952 "White Mane," the French director took home a grand prize from the Cannes Film Festival for "The Red Balloon," and also won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Albert pp). Through the years there have been both pro and con pieces of film criticism written concerning the aesthetics of this movie, however, there is no doubt that Lamorisse created a very sensitive allegorical film that never fails to spur dialogue among viewers of any age (Albert pp).

Although on the surface, this film may appear to be rather pointless, there is an underlying theme that is intended to inspire imagination and thought on a deeper level. Through this film, Lamorisse is actually making a statement about issues such as racism and fear of the unknown, all very human flaws that he intertwines into this fantasy. Moreover, these are issues that would have been at the forefront during the 1950's, with the Cold War and the racial discrimination, such as the Civil Rights Movement that was gaining momentum in the United States.

For example, when Pascal tries to board the bus to school with his balloon, he discovers that balloons are not allowed on the bus. Thus he is faced with abandoning the balloon or walking to school, and decides that his friendship with the balloon is more important than getting to school on time. This scene can easily be related to the bus issues of racial discrimination, where in many parts of the United States during this era, African-Americans were forced to take seats in the back of city public transportation buses.

When Pascal gets to school, he again discovers that the balloon cannot come into the classroom, and so he gives it to the school janitor for safekeeping while he attends class. When Pascal gets home from school, he discovers that his mother will not allow the balloon inside the house, and throws it out the window, where it hovers outside until morning, waiting for Pascal. Just as Pascal refused to abandon the balloon in order to ride the bus, the red balloon refuses to soar up to the sky, as helium balloons are supposed to do, and so apparently decides to stay with his new friend.

The scene in which the gang of older boys captures the balloon can be seen as the Red Scare of the 1950's during the McCarthy era in the United States, when fear of the unknown seemed to overwhelm the country. The boys chase Pascal and take the balloon to an abandoned area, where they proceed to torment the balloon by hitting it with rocks and stomping on it, until it is too tired to move. This scene can easily be likened to the communist investigations of this era, when many writers, directors, actors, and numerous people in the entertainment business were blacklisted from working, many of whom were turned in by peers who had been "beaten down" by interrogations.

This film is really remarkable, considering that there is no dialogue. There are only sound effects, thus the actors must be given praise for their abilities to carry the film, especially Pascal. His portrayal of innocence and naivete comes across as truly genuine.

Without dialogue, music and sound effects take on added importance to the film. Lamorisse chooses music and sound that is very appropriate for each scene. For example, when Pascal is trying to get the balloon down from the lamppost, the music in the background adds to the mischievous nature of the boy and the story. Moreover, the sound effects also help to enhance the film, such as the ominous footsteps of the boys who are chasing Pascal and the balloon.

The story is not only about commitment, but also about love and sacrifice. For example, in the scene where Pascal and the balloon are walking in the rain, the boy lets the balloon use the umbrella, while allowing himself to get wet. This is a very touching scene, and shows how tender the young boy's heart is, how much he is willing to sacrifice to shelter his new friend.

The cinematography is equal to the excellence of the screenplay. It flows in almost storybook fashion, showing suspense during the action scenes and innocence in others as in the scene in the rain. When Pascal is in the train yard, the camera shows the danger of the metal fence, and just as the balloon comes close to the sharp points on the fence, fog rises from below and leaves the viewer wondering for several moments whether the balloon was pricked or not. The camera work is subtle, but impressive. There are no action packed special effects that are so popular today in movies aimed at younger audiences. This film is simple, clearly stated, and that is perhaps why is it regarded as a classic.