Product Details

• Actors: Juliette Binoche, Hippolyte Girardot, Simon Iteanu, Fang Song, Louise Margolin
• Directors: Hsiao-hsien Hou
• Writers: Hsiao-hsien Hou, François Margolin
• Producers: François Margolin, Kristina Larsen, Rémi Burah
• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Ifc
• DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001CDFY46
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,364 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Flight of the Red Balloon" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Inspired by Albert Lamorisse's classic 1956 Academy Awardr-Winning short, Flight of the Red Balloon is the latest masterwork from director Hou Hsiao Hsien (Three Times, Millennium Mambo). Expanding on the key elements of Lamorisse's short - a young boy, a red balloon and Paris - Hou weaves the tale of a boy, Simon (Simon Iteanu) dealing with the increased fragility of his loving yet preoccupied mother, Suzanne (Academy Awardr - Winner Juliette Binoche of The English Patient, Cach‚). When a Taiwanese film student, Song (Fang Song), is hired to help care for Simon, a unique extended family is formed - utterly dependent on each other yet lost in separate dreams mirrored by a delicate, shiny red balloon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, Subtle Film - Time Well Spent, December 17, 2008

By 

Daniel G. Lebryk (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight of the Red Balloon (DVD)

Oh did I ever enjoy this film. It was a wonderful slow time with several characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I write slow on purpose, to set the viewer's expectations. This film moves along at a rythm that is very particular, very deliberate, and, to me and my family, perfect. There is a subtlty here that either draws you in deeply, or pushes you far away. I can't see a middle ground with The Flight Of The Red Balloon.

Two adults, a 12 and 17 year old agree that this is a wonderful engrossing film.

The most important point about Flight is the film production. I'm certain most reviewers have missed the fact that cut to cut time averages well over 3 minutes, maybe more like 5 to 10. The shots are very long, and a lot of character development and story progress happens in each long take. Compare that to the average film shots are rarely more than 10 seconds, and long is 20 seconds. Anyone that has seen this film once, should watch the film again and pay attention to when cuts are made in the film. It's incredible the choreography that had to take place for this to work.

I felt like this was two hours spent with some wonderful people, a boy, his mother, a nanny, a neighbor, and a host of minor characters. People float in and out of this movie just as they do in real life. The story isn't resolved, just like in real life. But the path these characters follow is interesting and pleasing.

The connection with the fabulous movie Red Balloon, it's a bit tenuous. There's homage in here, that's critical to understand. It's homage in the film sense, a director does things in a similar way or uses cues that make us think of the other film. The single most important homage to me, shot length and rythm of the original Red Balloon. The director used this aspect to perfection. It's NOT a continuation or retelling. Anyone searching for that will be sadly very dissappointed with this film. The Red Balloon (Released by Janus Films, in association with the Criterion Collection)

The director did a lot with reflected images in glass. Early on it's very hard to tell if we are looking at the person directly, or a reflection. As the camera pulls back or a person moves, we discover it was a reflection all along. Another significant point is when we start to see a character seeing themselves reflected (a two shot with the reflection being the second image). The two shot doesn't appear until much later in the film - when we start to see more of the red balloon.

Juliette Binoche, Song, and the young boy are fabulous actors. They have an incredible charm that I enjoyed very much.

Whatever this film is rated is probably wrong - this is a PG film, sutiable for any audience. Because it's subtitled (and there is no English track), a child would need to read well to watch the film.

The DVD has no bonus features of any kind. It is simply the movie with original French soundtrack, and English / Spanish subtitles.

By the way, the quality of the subtitles / translation is really awful. There are a lot of nuiances in the French that the subtitle company missed badly.

There is another way to watch this film, there are some gorgeous images of Paris streets. The light is beautiful. The scenes outdoor scenes are wonderful. Anyone that loves Paris, will likely love this film.

If you appreciate character development, discovery, subtlty in a film, and real live rythm, you will enjoy this film. It is also worth watching several times. As another reviewer and I have pointed out, there is a lot going on in this film. And it's impossible to understand it all in one single viewing.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cinema Verite, Sort Of, July 22, 2008

By 

ELF (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Flight of the Red Balloon (DVD)

This is French cinema verite, only with Juliette Binoche, who is obviously a star and not an ordinary person / non-actor as would be the case in a film true to the original genre... except in this film she seems quite like an ordinary person. I agree that the wandering red balloon appeared somewhat randomly and made no connection to the characters at times. I found this mildly, persistently frustrating when it happened, but I also kind of liked it. After all, things in real life often don't seem to connect or intersect. The performances are all amazing, it's generally in real time; the lighting is magical, with leaf-light patterns transporting me back to childhood every so often. The piano music throughout is lovely, playful, and transporting. This is an unusual, beautiful film. I think it's best to watch when you are alert and relaxed, and willing to participate a bit in making the story meaningful. A unique and wonderful thing about this film is that you feel as if you are participating, at different points.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Languid And Contemplative Examination Of Ordinary Life--An Homage To A Classic, Not A Remake, July 7, 2011

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flight of the Red Balloon (Amazon Instant Video)

Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien ventures away from his homeland for this homage to the classic French short film "Red Balloon." "Flight of the Red Balloon" is a simple and observant (quite literally) story set in Paris that follows the rather ordinary lives of its characters. While the original film played up the central relationship between a balloon and a boy in a rather poetic fashion, this film expands liberally on that narrative. After a sweet set-up in which our lead character is fascinated by our titular balloon (or is it the other way around?), our floating friend is only seen sporadically for the rest of the film--more of a metaphorical participant in the proceedings as opposed to a central plot point. And herein lies either the beauty of the film or the problem depending on who you ask.

I suspect that "Flight of the Red Balloon" is one of those art house films that will brook no middle ground. Some will think it is a lovely contemplation of Parisian life--a snapshot, if you will, of life being lived. Or you might just be baffled by how mundane the story is. There is no grand drama here, no revelatory experiences that will linger in your head--only slice-of-life moments captured from afar. Most of the film is seen in stagnant long shots captured from a distance. In many ways, this establishes an ephemeral and dreamlike quality--a voyeuristic perspective that becomes transitory based on where the action is being viewed at any particular moment. The point of view presents camera shots in which the metaphorical balloon (or other outside entity) is peering into ordinary family life. As this style of narrative is employed, you will either go with it or (if it's not your thing) be completely underwhelmed by the lack of narrative momentum (that's my polite way of saying that you'll be bored).

I, for one, thought this was an intriguing and introspective film. Juliette Binoche plays the harried mother with her usual efficiency--trying to balance the needs of her son with the demands of her job. The film begins with a new Chinese nanny coming onto the scene, and much of the film showcases a Paris seen through her eyes as well as the perspective of her young charge. Music lessons, problematic neighbors, familial obligations--this really is just a day in the life. But it's all like a beautiful dream--a remembrance of time spent in a great city. If this sounds like a painful bore to you--it probably isn't a film I'd recommend. But I've tried to incorporate enough detail here to help you decide if the film is right for your viewing sensibilities. Languid, but lovely, the film's unique visual perspective is its selling point to a more patient audience. A note of caution, however, to those expecting a remake or expansion of the original film--that movie is but an influence on this one. Expecting a more literal or close following of that story will also leave you disappointed. Taken for what it is, "Flight of the Red Balloon" is a fascinating and contemplative examination of real life. KGHarris, 7/11.