Lots of kids bring home stray dogs or cats but how many can say to their mother, "Mom, a balloon followed me home. Can I keep it?" But that is indeed the premise of Albert Lamorisse's critically acclaimed short, "The Red Balloon".
I personally am blown away by how affectively this film employs show, don't tell and uses set-up's and pay-off's and stakes to create drama around what, one would think, would be a rather undramatic subject. I am also very impressed with the film's use of color.
While commenting on this little treasure, think about the following:
- How did the film help you relate to people from France more?
- How did what we learned about France in class help you appreciate this film more?
- In what ways can this be considered a French New Wave film? Explain (thoroughly).
Or maybe you'd like to do some cultural research. I would really like to know why the balloons in the film are so large. Is that a French thing, a 1950's thing, or just a stylistic choice for the movie?
This is a 'French New Wave" film because of the thematic elements of the story, which revolves around a boy who stumbles upon a giant red balloon. The balloon becomes his sassy pet, and they have many adventures. The story itself is absurd, but not in a depressing or awkward way. It's like a joke. Also, color is very prominent in this movie. The boy also gets carried off by a million balloons. Like, what is that? French New Wave, I guess.
ReplyDeleteC.J. Barrett:
ReplyDeleteI think that many people from the U.S. who would watch this film would think its silly, and write it off as nothing but an intro to something from Pixar or something. (No kidding, I know people who talk down on Pixar.) However, having been in this class, and my own personal respect for films makes me notice more things about it. I almost see this movie as a metaphor anyone could connect to; everyone has lost something precious to them at some time, which is how the movie managed to create drama. People could see themselves in the child, and something precious to them in the balloon, and when the gang of boys popped the balloon it drew out the emotion(s) you experience when you lose something.
This movie is new wave since it has such an absurd, unexplained premise. Though being weird, and maybe a little bit creepy, its still lighthearted and playful. While I'm typing this it reminds me of Tim Burton's film making style; how he creates eerie premises but makes them accessible to anyone, and more or less a "fun for the whole family" film, while still keeping a lot of artful statements in his movies.
Great analysis of this movie as a French New Wave flic.
DeleteTommy Kiter-
ReplyDeleteI couldn't really relate to france people because, a film like this made no sense to me at all. it helped me appreciate more about french films is we all have our own style i guess if this makes sense. It is a french new wave film because of the story. How the balloon becomes like a stalker or bestfreind to the kid, and explore a lot with each other. This film was very happy no way sad kind of a joke. Getting carried off by hundreds of balloons is just non sence , you dont see that on a daily bases. It could be A French New Wave film.
I am glad Tommy that even if you don't like a film, you can still use it to understand the film movement better. That is a sign of a real film scholar: ability to learn from a film and write intelligently about it even when you don't like it.
DeleteI really liked this movie. It was so cute and funny.... What I liked most was the colors.... how he used the gray scale the whole movie except for the balloon which made them really the focus of the movie especially the Red balloon that just randomly started as what Josh said "stalking" the kid.. ha
ReplyDeleteThe plot of the movie was extremely simple and had a lot of holes which I now know is French New Wave. I really liked the end "Spoiler Alert!!!!" haha
How when the stupid annoying French Kids Killed his Red balloon all the balloon in the city came to him it was awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing more random crazy French films :)
"Spoiler Alert" LOL!
DeleteI know right.. I didnt want to spoil the ending for people that really want to see the movie haha
DeleteI want to "like" your comment but this isn't Facebook.
DeleteTayia Groesbeck-
ReplyDeleteI really liked this film it was really cute and it made me happy! It kinda reminded me of the movie Up, and got me thinking that they got the idea of Up from this movie.
This film helped me relate to the people of France more because they have random movie ideas and I like that they don't take forever thinking about a story and the movie still comes out pretty great and I really like that about them. I wish American movies were more like this! They should use more imagination and try not to put so much thought into the movies they make here.
Tayia, I love your insight about how we don't need to over think the story sometimes and they can still rock. Just keep it simple! That insight helps me improve my screenwriting.
DeleteBTW, have you thought about taking Screenwriting? I'm teaching next term during 6th period. You get an English credit for taking it. I'll also teach it next year.
I like the connection between the color red and the essence of childhood itself.
ReplyDeleteIt kinda made me upset when people in the class kept saying "It was just a ballon" "It's just an item, there's no emotional connection" everyone does/can have emotional connections with material posessions. As kids we all had our favorite toy. This kid just happened to have a ballon.
ReplyDeleteThis connection made me understand childhood better because we all had something we loved and were obsessed with. And this film made me think that we're not all that different.
I appreciate French food...
I feel what really makes this New Wave is that there is this new approach to childhood. It's kinda like when a product is trying to catch your attention and once it does and you get it and love it, it breaks.
I like the idea of seeing this film as an expression of childhood itself.
DeleteTravis porter
ReplyDeletethis move was intrasting to me i relly want the balloon that kid had he like camandid it the color in this move was grate it was dark blues and gras it mad the red balloon stand out it was grate i would recomend this film to any one that can sit throw slow past and sub titels the way that this is french new wave is its not like hollywood it dosont have a lot of acshon in it
Coolio.
Delete-Randi Michelle :)
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned in class before watching this was that French movies don't really explain anything, and just go with it. For instance, in an American film, they would've described how the balloon got there, why the balloon got there, what it's purpose was, why the little kid found it, what his purpose was and how his childhood was, etc. Instead, in this short film, they just simply showed, "Here's a balloon, and it's following a child for no apparent reason. GO!" I think that's a really cool and unique way to make a movie!
graded
Delete