The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I remember my teacher showing this to us in class in the 70s. I wanted to see it again. It was as good 50 years later as it was then. Great for all ages.

I have loved this movie since Zo saw it as a child.Highly recommended

The video was a very unique experience to the audience of kindergarten children. I had rented this movie many years ago when I first started more than 40 years ago. The children today are harder to please when it comes to movies with expensive special effects. This movie with very little monologue is visually moving to even the harshest critics, today's children. The students did get restless until I told them to wait and see, something will happen soon. The students were spellbound, and this beautiful movie grabbed their heart and soul at the end.

I loved this movie which I viewed a long time ago.It is appropriate for children as well as adults!What a lesson of tenderness,intimidation and mob mentality!!But friendship rules the final straw!!!A flick to definitely see!!!

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. ...

Synopsis: Young French boy discovers a red balloon on the streets of Paris. When he is unable to ride on the street car because the balloon is too large he is forced to walk to his destination. His new acquisition is soon noticed by a group of bullies who desire the balloon for themselves and a chase ensues. Will the boy get away with his balloon intact? What eventually happens is both bittersweet and unexpected. It's truly the stuff from which delightful day dreams are made.Critique: For me, the charming little '56 French film `The Red Balloon' carries with it fond memories of grammar school. Whenever it was too rainy outside for recess the all the students would be gathered into the cafeteria to watch a short film, or a cartoon or two. Without question the film most requested by the audience was `The Red Balloon.'It had been at least forty years since my last viewing of this childhood classic when I sat down last week to view this All Region DVD release from Korea. The film still possesses all the childhood wonder as it had fifty years ago and now also serves as a mini-time capsule of Paris in more naïve times. Unfortunately the picture quality is severely lacking and spoils much of the ambience the pictures on the screen so delicately create.My Rating: Love the film, hate the picture quality; -4 Stars-.

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.

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.

Young Parisian boy is befriended by a red balloon which follows him everywhere- home,school,etc.Jealousy from other children forces them to go on the run until....(a poetic ending.)Acclaimed children's film is a poem to childhood as well as to 1950's Paris.Beautiful camerawork and lovely"performance" from Pascal Lamorisse(the director's son)illuminate this visual delight.At just 34 minutes it does not outstay it's welcome and it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay even though there are only 12 lines in the entire film.I have the Korean import too and putting them alongside each other only points up the achievement of Criterion's sublime restoration.Essential purchase for a timeless classic.

I loved the dvd, am happy with the service I received .I bought this for my daughter who is due her first child and wanted to pass this wonderful story on to our next generation. It is a timeless beautifull story. I was 7 when I first saw this many years ago and can atest to the timelessness of this piece.

I first saw this film as a child it was good then and still is a classic, every one sould see it not only for it's content, but also a unique snap shoot of the 1950's

enjoyable light read - fun