The Red Balloon (1955)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:15
Fresh:15
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.4/10
Runtime: 34 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Perfect for all ages, this beautiful French film is a short with music and sound but no dialogue. The focal point is a bright red balloon, the psychological companion of a young French boy as he... Perfect for all ages, this beautiful French film is a short with music and sound but no dialogue. The focal point is a bright red balloon, the psychological companion of a young French boy as he goes to school and plays with his friends. This classic won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2008, Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien reimagined the beloved film as THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON. [More]
Director: Albert Lamorisse
Director: Albert Lamorisse
Reviews for The Red Balloon
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As enjoyable for adults who wistfully view scenes of post-war France in all its black and white chicness, as it is for kids. Full Review |
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Lamorisse has a unique talent for crawling under the skins of little people. Full Review |
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For those of us who don't have childhood memories driving our analysis, it's a passable kids movie that could be so much more. Full Review |
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Enchanting. Full Review |
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The story of a boy and his toy, The Red Balloon is widely praised for its narrative and visual "purity," but not enough is said about the movie's delightful manipulation. Full Review |
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The key to its lasting endurance is in its simplicity. Full Review |
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if you missed it as a child, now is the time to make sure you seek it out and watch it. Full Review |
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It's the perfect little movie. Full Review |
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A cinematic landmark . . . Lamorisse's film floats off, with the breeze of magic-realism, into a feeling of escape and peace. Full Review |
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A beautiful little meditation on childhood, on imagination literally taking flight. Full Review |
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These are two unique and unforgettable family films -- one an essential part of world cinema, the other an underseen gem -- that a new generation deserves the chance to get acquainted with Full Review |
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... one of the best loved films in cinema history. Full Review |
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The results made exciting, memorable cinema, but could just as easily have turned into disaster. There seems to be no escaping the darker side of innocence. Full Review |
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One of the best-loved and least-sentimental children's films of all time. Full Review |
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An utterly charming little story. Full Review |
Latest News for The Red Balloon
November 20, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Enchanted Bewitches, Hitman Misses, No Country is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies, we've got real-life fairy tales, a deadly fog, loads of gunplay, musical families, yuletide conflict, and the latest from the Coen Brothers. What do the... More...
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