Customer Reviews

The Red Balloon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My mother was a big foreign film buff, and made me go with her to see every last one of them that came through town. I don't think I've ever been as touched as I was when I saw this one.

The director does a fantastic job of allowing the audience to bask in the glow of the innocence of childhood. Kids who see this completely understand it, and adults are mystified by the dreamlike quality of the storyline. The heartbreaking, sweet & surreal ending is a tear-jerker...so be prepared.

Do your child a favor and treat them to this film...Or remind yourself of what it felt like to be a kid.

We saw this as part of a history assignment. The ending made my 7 year old son cry because the boy did not take the broken balloon off with him into the sky.

This half-hour film won the Grand Prize at Cannes (1956), the Oscar for best original screenplay (a French film, with almost no words in it!) (1956), The New York Film Critics' Award (1956), the Best Film of the Decade, Educational Film Award (1968), and 10 other international film awards,--it's hard to believe that those august bodies were composed entirely of children!

Let's hear it for grown-ups!

I saw it with my mother as a mere 21-year old lass; she must have been nearly 50. When the Balloon jerks away from the Little Boy as the Other Boys climb all over them, I said "OH! That wasn't very nice!" My mother explained "You see, the Balloon knew the Other Boys were after it, and it didn't want the Little Boy to get hurt,."

"Oooooh," I said.

My VHS tape is fine, and in French (an occasional "Balon!"); when it is re-mastered by someone good, I'll buy the DVD. Recommend the VHS tape meanwhile (for 6.50, you can't go very wrong).