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The Red Balloon
 
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The Red Balloon

Starring: Pascal Lamorisse, Georges Sellier Director: Albert Lamorisse
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 16.99
Price: CDN$ 14.49 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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The Red Balloon + White Mane + Paddle to the Sea
Total List Price: CDN$ 49.73
Price For All Three: CDN$ 42.97

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  • This item: The Red Balloon DVD ~ Albert Lamorisse

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    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details

  • White Mane DVD ~ Albert Lamorisse

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  • Paddle to the Sea DVD ~ Bill Mason

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What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?

The Red Balloon
78% buy the item featured on this page:
The Red Balloon 4.3 out of 5 stars (47)
CDN$ 14.49
The Red Balloon/White Mane
15% buy
The Red Balloon/White Mane
CDN$ 22.99
Paddle to the Sea
3% buy
Paddle to the Sea 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
CDN$ 13.99
Planet Earth: The Complete Series
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Product Details

Product Description

From Amazon.com

The late French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse made this classic, 1956 short work about a lonely little Parisian boy (Pascal Lamorisse) befriended by a large red balloon, which seems to have a will of its own. As with his preceding short, 1952's White Mane, Lamorisse took home a grand prize from the Cannes Film Festival for The Red Balloon, and the latter film also won an Academy Award. There have been some stimulating pieces of film criticism (some pro, some con) written about the aesthetics of this little movie over the years, but there's no question it makes for a touching, allegorical piece always certain to prompt conversations among viewers of any age. --Tom Keogh


Review

A classic short film and a beloved children's story, Albert Lamorisse's Le Ballon Rouge (1956) radiantly celebrates the ability of a child's imagination to take flight. Starring Lamorisse's winsome son, Pascal Lamorisse, and the most expressive crimson helium and rubber object ever, Le Ballon Rouge's tale about a boy and his eponymous object is a touching fable of friendship and loss, as the balloon takes it upon itself to join the boy in his daily activities. Floating along with the boy, the balloon wreaks comic havoc on the boy's daily routine, and moves lyrically through his Paris neighborhood; their seemingly doomed adventures reach a magical conclusion that caps the film's visual beauty. A prize winner at Cannes and the New York Film Critics Circle's Best Foreign Film, Le Ballon Rouge even enchanted the Academy enough to win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, a rare honor for a short (not to mention foreign and dialogue-free) film, and a testament to its durable, fanciful charm. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
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Customer Reviews

47 Reviews
5 star:
 (36)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (47 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars In love with a balloon!!, April 8 2008
By William's Mommy "Dorothy" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Once in a blue moon, something precious comes along and grabs you! It's hard to believe (for me at any rate) that more than fifty years have passed since I saw this little "flick" with my father in London. He had actually taken me to the local cinema to see something else but this was in that ancient-history-time when you got two films for the price of one. "Le Ballon Rouge" had just won an Oscar so it was being shown to tout le monde. The main feature that day must have really made an impression (not!) because I don't even remember what the title was. However THIS little treasure has stayed in my memory all these years and I can't wait to receive it at the end of the month and show it to my grandchildren. I know that they are going to love it as much as I did, and still do! The story isn't complicated and there is no dialogue. However, whether this is ultimately about imagination or a dream or just plain old-fashioned magic, there is such a sweetness about this tale that it draws you in. I was going to say that the young boy who was the main protagonist was simply perfect in the role. Well, he was - but it's the balloon that is the real protagonist here.

I've talked about seeing it as a child and wanting to share it with my grandchildren. However, this is a must see for ANY age. Do yourself a favour and watch this one. I don't think it will disappoint!

PS (on April 29) Received my copy today and watched it right away. You know what? It's BETTER than I remembered. Just saying!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A magical film-making feat that transcends the generations, Nov 6 2008
By Torval Mork (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
As soon as I saw that this film was available on DVD, I knew it would be a touchstone for my young son, who had just turned 2 when I received it in the mail. We spend some father son time each week watching the latest Pixar and Disney movies, but it's hard to escape the reality that they've been engineered through test audiences to ensure that children absolutely must enjoy them. I've been yearning to introduce him to some visual narratives that don't rely on the smoke and mirrors that the digital age has used to drive up the take at the box office at the expense of the stripped down simplicity of a good story.

Enter The Red Balloon.

The opening shot is of a boy (played by the director's son, Pascal Lamorisse), walking on his way to school along a Parisian cobblestone street. He comes to the top of a stairwell, begins walking down the stairs, and up in a tree he spies an oversized, spherical red balloon. He scales the wall with the help of a handrail, and unfastens the string from the branches. Thus begins the journey of a little boy and his balloon. As the boy soon finds out, the balloon has a personality of its own, and an agenda to boot. The tale is timeless - and the construct is dialogue free, reducing the barriers for children of all ages to enjoy. At 2, my son kept saying "boy", "horse", "train", "balloon", and "bus"... along with the many other visual cues that a street scene in 1956 Paris may bring about.

There is plenty of scenery to soak in, but the triumph is in the ending, and is the epitome of many a child's dream. If you like this, I also highly recommend The White Mane, also directed by Albert Lamorisse.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Gem, May 7 2008
What a delicious treat to be able to own this movie. It all began in elementary school when my teachers, from each year, would show the class 'The Red Balloon'. It was something I always looked forward to.
You can imagine my surprise when 25 years later I found it. I look forward to sharing this delightful movie with my kids.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars question ???
I am trying to find this wonderful movie in dvd format. Is it hopeless? If so why?
Published on May 24 2004 by Laura

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic that needs to be restored..
This timeless little film is probably the best known French film in the United States. This is due to the fact that nearly every elementary school had a copy which they used to... Read more
Published on Mar 26 2004 by johnpetersoniii

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best childrens movie ever made
I saw this when I was first in kindergarten. I cried when the evil gang of boys popped the poor red balloon at the end. Read more
Published on Mar 24 2004 by Everett

5.0 out of 5 stars One of My Favorite French Films!
I have fond memories of Watching The Red Balloon when I was a little girl in the 70's. I remember it being shown in my Elementary school with an old movie projector and I also... Read more
Published on Mar 12 2004 by Calinira

5.0 out of 5 stars C'est Bon!
I first saw Lamorisse's "The Red Balloon" in Kindergarten. It was years before I saw it again at a public library in Seattle. Read more
Published on Oct 7 2003 by thisisgibbie

2.0 out of 5 stars stupid
i remember this stupid movie.
i may have blocked it from my memory if all my teachers didn't show it when they were absent and make us write 5 page papers on it.
Published on Jul 11 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars pop the damn thing already!
I had read great reviews of this movie a while back and was so excited when i saw it in the tv guide. What a disappointment. Read more
Published on Jun 27 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Scandal
It is a scandal that such a poor quality DVD of such a great children's movie would be released in this fashion. The VHS tape is of much better quality!
Published on Jun 20 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Magically Appears
I... have been thinking about this film recently and had promised myself I'd try to find it sometime soon. Read more
Published on Dec 13 2002 by Angie Miles

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible childhood memory
I also had to watch this during my elementary school days (mid 70's). Couldn't see the appeal of a story about a lonely, bullied boy whose only friend is a balloon. Read more
Published on Nov 1 2002

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