The Red Balloon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Red Balloon |
|
|---|---|
.png)
French theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Albert Lamorisse |
| Produced by | Albert Lamorisse |
| Screenplay by | Albert Lamorisse |
| Starring | Pascal Lamorisse |
| Music by | Maurice Le Roux |
| Cinematography | Edmond Séchan |
| Editing by | Pierre Gillette |
| Studio | Films Montsouris |
| Distributed by | Lopert Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 3 May 1956 (Cannes) 19 October 1956 (France) |
| Running time | 35 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
The Red Balloon (in French, Le ballon rouge) is a short French movie from 1956. It's a fantasy comedy-drama film, meaning it has magical elements and tells an emotional story. Albert Lamorisse wrote, produced, and directed this 35-minute film. It's about a young boy who finds a magical red balloon that seems to be alive! The movie was filmed in the Ménilmontant area of Paris, France.
Interestingly, Albert Lamorisse used his own children as actors. His son, Pascal, plays the main character, also named Pascal. His daughter, Sabine, plays a young girl in the film.
The film won many important awards. Albert Lamorisse won an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956. It also won the Palme d'Or for short films at the famous 1956 Cannes Film Festival. The Red Balloon became very popular with children and teachers. It is the only short film ever to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Contents
The Story of the Red Balloon
The movie follows a young boy named Pascal (played by Pascal Lamorisse). One morning, on his way to school, he finds a large red balloon filled with helium. As he plays with it, he soon realizes the balloon is special. It seems to have a mind of its own!
The balloon starts to follow Pascal everywhere he goes. It never goes far from him. Sometimes, it even floats outside his bedroom window. This happens because his mother won't let the balloon inside their apartment.
Adventures in Paris
The red balloon follows Pascal through the streets of Paris. They get a lot of attention from other children. Many kids are curious or even a little jealous of the magical balloon. At one point, the balloon even floats into Pascal's classroom! This causes a big commotion among his classmates. The noise alerts the school principal. The principal then locks Pascal in his office as a punishment.
Later, after being set free, Pascal and his balloon meet a young girl. She has a blue balloon that also seems to be alive, just like Pascal's!
One Sunday, Pascal's mother tells the balloon to stay home. Pascal and his mother go to church. However, the clever balloon follows them through an open window. It floats right into the church! A scolding beadle (a church official) then leads Pascal and the balloon out.
A Sad Moment and a Magical Ending
As Pascal and the balloon explore the neighborhood, they run into trouble. A group of older boys are very envious of the balloon. While Pascal is inside a bakery, they manage to steal it. Luckily, Pascal gets it back!
A chase begins through narrow alleyways. The older boys finally catch up to Pascal and the balloon. They hold Pascal back. Then, they use slingshots to hit the balloon. One of the boys finishes it off by stomping on it. It's a very sad moment.
But the film ends with a magical surprise. All the other balloons in Paris come to Pascal's rescue! They gather around him and lift him up. Pascal goes on an amazing cluster balloon ride high over the city.
The Film's Lasting Impact
The Red Balloon has inspired many other films and works of art.
In 1960, Albert Lamorisse made another film called Stowaway in the Sky. Pascal also starred in this movie. It was like a follow-up to The Red Balloon.
A play based on the film was performed in London in 1996.
The music video for the song "Son of Sam" by Elliott Smith (from his 2000 album Figure 8) is a direct tribute to The Red Balloon.
In 2007, the film Flight of the Red Balloon was made by Hou Hsiao-hsien. This movie was also a direct tribute to the original.
A boy with a bright red balloon appears in the ending of the 2016 musical film La La Land.
A restaurant in New Jersey, USA, called Pascal and Sabine, is named in honor of the movie's characters.
Merchandise
The Book Version
A book based on the film was first published in 1957 by Doubleday Books. It used black and white and color pictures from the movie. It also had new words added to tell the story. The book was highly praised. It even won 'A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year.' Albert Lamorisse was named as the only author of the book.
The Soundtrack
A soundtrack album was released. It featured music from the film, adapted by Lamorisse himself. It was released on the Nonesuch Records label.
See also
In Spanish: Le Ballon rouge para niños
