The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I watched this in my 3rd grade class with a large film projector in the 60s, and it is still enjoyable to me after all these years. There isn't much French dialog, but if you are watching the story, it really doesn't need much. The film is very easy to understand as you watch it unfold on the screen. They haven't made films of this quality in a long time. If you haven't seen it, you are missing something special.

This film is an absolute work of art! It tells the beautiful story of a young boy and his only friend: a big red balloon. Their friendship is true and the living balloon follows the little boy wherever he goes. They play with each other, trust each other... they are together for good! A very simple and beautiful story... one that makes you remember how good it is to be a kid. ...all the possibilities... all the imagination and the innocence we lose when we grow up. This film will touch everyone who sees it. The only problem is the print they used for this DVD. Absolutely horrible! Full of scratches and marks... (there are silent films in better shape!) it seems someone dragged the film stock on a street to make it look bad. I cannot believe such an important film had such a lack of caring. The soundtrack is also bad and the rich Technicolor is gone. I was lucky enough to see this film on the big screen during the seventies and... believe me... it was beautiful. Nothing like this. I knew this print was bad because I read the other reviews, and yet, I bought it because I felt I must have it (for I love this film). But it was still shocking to see how bad a bad print can be. I think this film is a masterpiece and I will buy it again if this is ever restored and released again... but this is an european film and I do not see that (restoration... or a new print) coming soon. So I bought it anyway - think like this: not even in France this film is available... go figure why! A beautiful film that is worth every scratch... but it is a shame... Films like this one should be seen over and over and I am sure if it was to be rereleased it would be a success. Perhaps one day someone like Criterion (who for once released it in Laserdisc a looong time ago) will take this film and give the treatment it deserves. By the way, the DVD comes with an american animated cartoon : "The Pincushion Man". It is about a ballon-like city with ballon-like characters. The print is equally bad. It is an early thirties "silly symphonies-like" color cartoon produced by Castle Films. The film is nice and it leaves you wondering about how many great films are there left to rot. ...

I remember this movie from elementary school. I remember being completely fascinated by it. What I couldn't remember was the name of it. I was just browsing for movies one day and I thought about this one. I decided to just type in The Red Balloon because that seemed like a likely title or close enough to bring it up anyway, and I recognized the cover instantly. "That's it!" I thought and ordered it right away. I couldn't wait to watch it after all these years. I love the fact that there is hardly any dialogue and yet I felt so connected to it and entertained even as a child. The friendship between the main character Pascal and the balloon is adorable. I didn't know it was a foreign film at the time but it is set in Paris and that just adds to the beauty of it. I'm not sure if they still show it in schools nowadays, but I think it's a must see for children and adults. It's only 30 minutes long but tells a beautiful and heartwarming story. I'm so glad it's available on DVD.

Good message in a simple way

One of the most vivid and wonderful memories of my childhood, I first went to see The Red Balloon (1956) at the cinema as a ten year old boy in April, 1957. Over fifty years later, this morning, I received this Criterion / Janus DVD from amazon.com and it's worth every penny. Superbly and lovingly restored, obviously from the original negative, there isn't a mark on it anywhere and the image is crystal clear. We fans of The Red Balloon have been waiting for a release like this for years. I'd have said it looks like a new film, but no modern film has Technicolor as lovely as this. Forget about that terrible quality Korean import DVD that people have had to put up with for so long. This is the version to go for and when you see it, you'll see just how wonderful the film looked originally to those 1950's cinema audiences of long ago. Pascal Lamorisse is totally enchanting. He reminds me of myself as a five or six years old boy and I can identify with him only too well. This is, without the slightest doubt, the best children's film of all time. It is totally beautiful and highly recommended. It is also very touching and may make you cry, no matter how young or old you are. Five Stars! David Rayner in Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK.

I watched it when I was a kid and it is as enjoyable to watch now. The quarter of Paris where it was filmed in 1958 has been demolished so it is also interesting from a historical point of view as well. You get 35 minutes of fascination. there is a good description on Wikipedia "The red balloon, film".

Like so many others, I first saw this wonderful short film as a child. Decades after, I'm happy to say that it's even more magical & moving than I'd remembered. No doubt the sobering experience of growing up has added to the richness & depth of the deceptively simple story, which has the purity & directness of a parable. There's so much here! The innocence of childhood, the defiance of unfeeling authoriy, the individual vs. the mob, the power of the imagination -- and all of it told with a subtle touch that's as light as a feather. There's nothing heavy-handed or maudlin here. Pascal is treated with the dignity a sensitive child deserves, without any false sentimentality or condescension. And the ending is magnificent! Restored to its full Technicolor glory, drenched in color, and taking us on a wide-eyed tour of Paris in the 1950s, this Criterion release is a treasure. While we might have asked for DVD extras, there's really no need for them -- the film stands eloquently on its own. While current films for children are instantly dated by fleeting pop culture references & glib attempts at crass humor, "The Red Balloon" is timeless. Most highly recommended!

Review To: "The Red Balloon" (Janus Films, in assoc. w/The Criterion Collection) (DVD) -- ASIN: B0012Z361M As I write this on 16-Apr-2008, [But See Below!] this DVD has not yet been released, so I obviously am not reviewing the actual DVD itself. However, I just saw "The Red Balloon" on our local cable system (that's why I'm on this page!). What MEMORIES that film brings back! And what an ADORABLE story! As you watch it, DO look for one of THE most memorable scenes in the film, early on, when the Boy (about six years old) leaves school to find the Balloon waiting for him. It's raining, so the Boy dashes from passerby to passerby, each of whom graciously shelters his Balloon beneath their umbrellas! I swear, that has GOT to be one of THE Cutest, THE Sweetest, and THE Most Adorable scene in any short film, EVER! :) Additional post-review NOTES: 1. I did finally purchased this DVD on Thu., 17-Apr-2008. 2. The original French title to this film is "Le Ballon Rouge", which (for a wonder) means exactly and precisely what the English title says it is, except that in French, as in many languages, the adjective follows the noun instead of preceeding it, so if you REALLY want to be literal, it's "The Balloon Red". 3. According to the liner notes, the Boy's name is Pascal, and he was six years old at the time of filming.

La dolcissima vicenda di un bimbo che trova un palloncino rosso e inizia un storia che vede il palloncino come metafora degli ideali, della bellezza, della vita, dell'innocenza fragile. Vincere un Oscar e una Palma d'oro non succede per caso. E' un film bellissimo... con dialoghi minimali... e il sonoro, in fondo, serve solo per la colonna sonora. E parrebbe un film in bianco e nero, tanto è il verismo e l'accuratezza delle immagini. Una sceneggiatura di pura arte... poesia. Film da vedere col vostro bimbo di 4 anni, con adolescenti che si affacciano alla vita, col partner o col nonno: 32 minuti di vera dolce poesia. Alla fine vi sentirete migliori. Se non sarete d'accordo, rivolgetevi a me... vi rimborserò il costo del DVD.

Bear in mind that two reviews here are concerned with region issues, I had a previous incarnation before it was remastered which was pretty dismal. However, this re-issue is superb, colours and everything within are excellent. An utterly charming little film, seemingly written about children and for them , which makes a nice change. Not a CGI editor in sight which makes the final scenes breathtaking, this is very clever technical work indeed. The absence of dialogue is compensated for by a delightful music score. If you like your children's films with a bit more grit then try 'The Singing Ringing Tree' - another childhodd gem which still scares the pants off me.

Great item. Perfect. Enjoyed this childhood memory. Thank you.

très satisfaite de cet achat, je le recommande, c'est un film à voir pour connaitre le Paris d'autrefois, et c'est une très jolie histoire

Un petit film culte de mon enfance. Pas déçu de le revoir bien au contraire!