The Red Balloon (1956) Le ballon rouge (original title)

Director:

Albert Lamorisse

Writer:

Albert Lamorisse (written by)

Release Date:

11 March 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Short

Plot:

A red balloon with a life of its own follows a little boy around the streets of Paris.

Plot Keywords:

Balloon | Boy | Red Balloon | Little Boy | Following

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins

Cast

Pascal Lamorisse	...	Pascal - le petit garçon
Georges Sellier	...	Le marchand
Vladimir Popov	...	Un locataire
Paul Perey
Sabine Lamorisse	...	La petite fille au ballon bleu
Michel Pezin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Renée Marion	...	La mère de Pascal
Renaud	...	Le jumeau en rouge (uncredited)
David Séchan	...	L'autre jumeau en rouge (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Lamorisse

Writing credits
Albert Lamorisse		(written by)

Produced by
Albert Lamorisse	....	producer

Original Music by
Maurice Leroux		(as Maurice Le Roux)

Cinematography by
Edmond Séchan

Film Editing by
Pierre Gillette

Production Management
Michel Pezin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edmond Agabra	....	assistant director
André Fontaine	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Pierre Vuillemin	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Pierre Goupil	....	assistant camera
Pierre Goupil	....	associate camera operator

Other crew
Reinie Bource	....	script supervisor
Lise Haas	....	production secretary
Claire Viroulaud	....	press attache: 2007

Production Companies

• Films Montsouris

Distributors

• Lopert Pictures Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (no subtitles)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1961) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1999) (USA) (TV)
• Showtime Networks (2001) (USA) (TV)
• Nickelodeon Network (2000) (USA) (TV)
• Home Vision Cinema (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Janus Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cafegroove (2008) (Japan) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Sound & Media (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Park Circus (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Atypfilm (2009) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Crest International (2008) (Japan) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Cinéart (1957) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Films Distribution (????) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Films Montsouris (1956) (France) (theatrical)
• Gébéka Films (2007) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Lopert Films (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Regionale (195?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Sparfrämjandet (196?) (Sweden) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• Terrafilm (1957) (Sweden) (theatrical) (35 mm)
• Valio-Filmi (1957) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1986) (Finland) (TV) (as MTV2)
• Network (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Public Media Home Vision (????) (USA) (video)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• VideoRama (????) (Finland) (video)
• VideoRama (1981) (Sweden) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Ciné-Sud Promotion  publicity: 2007
• Nonesuch Records  soundtrack
• Société Industrielle de Sonorisation (S.I.S.)  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Le ballon rouge" - France (original title)

Runtime:

34 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U (DVD rating) | France:U

Filming Locations:

Ecole communale de garçons, Ménilmontant, Paris 20, Paris, France.

Company:

Films Montsouris

Trivia:

Awards: Best Foreign Film (Mexico, 1958). * Gold Medal (Tokyo, 1958)

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: For a brief instant, a wire can be seen attached to balloon as boy waits to cross street. Wire stands out against blue coat of man standing behind him looking on as the boy waits for intersection to clear.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Revenge of the Red Balloon (2000)

THE RED BALLOON IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT!

Of those who have expressed their feelings about THE RED BALLOON, most have seen it with wonderous eyes through the vision of childhood. I first saw it theatrically when it played in Salt Lake. I would see it several more times in theatres over the years. Later, I acquired a Technicolor 16mm print of the film, which I will be showing to a group of families this evening as part of their New Year's Eve 2003 celebration. It will be interesting to see if the film's magic still works. For me, THE RED BALLOON is something of allegory. The little boy is like many of us in the world -- searching for meaning, friends, love. Into his life comes something very beautiful, something that brings him great delight and joy. The adults around him have no use or time for this intruder. The children are fascinated by it. When they can not posesse the balloon for themselves, they destroy it. The balloon resurrects itself and gathers in all the other balloons of Paris. They lift the boy and carry him off into a world not subject to hate and destruction and uncaring. In a way, the balloon is a Christ like figure that is rejected by mankind -- finally murdered -- and then resurrects. THE RED BALLOON is a beautiful film on whatever level a viewer cares to look at it. It remains one of those special, magical films that only comes along once in a great while!