Product Details

• Actors: Pascal Lamorisse, Georges Sellier, Vladimir Popov, Paul Perey, René Marion
• Directors: Albert Lamorisse
• Format: Color
• Number of tapes: 1.0
• Studio: Nelson Entertainment
• Run Time: 34.0 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000CCZ8L2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,087 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Simply the lovely image of a child's dream." ...Arthur Night, Saturday Review-- A childhood fantasy with appeal for viewers of every age, it is the story of Pascal, a lonely French boy who befriends a wondrous red ballon which follows him everywhere -- to school and church -- and even hovers outside his window when in his room. THE RED BALLOON is both a beguiling fantasy and a touching allegory on the magic powers of love and friendship.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Film, April 20, 2006

By	Papillon Picasso (New York) - See all my reviews

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Made my son cry, February 26, 2008

By	Ron Titus (Huntington, WV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Adults will NOT be mystified. by the dreamlike quality of the storyline......, October 26, 2007

By	Julie M. Vognar "Julie" (Berkeley, California United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

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).