Le Ballon Rouge "The Red Balloon"

Film Review

One of the most profound movies I’ve watched over the years is the film “The Red Balloon.” I had the privilege of viewing this film at the tender and impressionable age of five years. This was my first foray into foreign cinema.

It still affects me today, as it did when I first watched it. I feel a sense of overpowering sadness and happiness. The simplistic storyline still captivates and resonates with me. One may discover the ability to feel compassion for the little boy and the fate that befalls both him and his beloved red balloon. You need not understand the French language or its culture to appreciate the exquisite beauty of this story.

Pascal, a young Parisian boy of five, is walking towards school one morning and espies a red balloon floating in the air. Its thick, long white string is still entangled on a streetlamp. Pascal shimmies up the lamp and untethers the balloon from its captor. He then continues down the road to get passage on a streetcar that will convey him to the destination of his school. The streetcar operator refuses the boys’ entrance onto its transport, without first releasing the balloon into the stratosphere. The little boy reluctantly acquiesces, and the balloon floats away from him.

Surprisingly, the red balloon exhibits a mind of its own and follows the streetcar and the little boy, all the way down the road to his school. When the little boy gets off, he grabs the balloon and takes it with him into the schoolyard, where he requests that the groundskeeper there, to keep his balloon safe, while he attends to his studies. After his studies conclude for the day, he again reacquires his balloon. As he ambles through the streets of Paris with his balloon, much to his chagrin and dismay, he discovers that his newfound friend has drawn the unwanted attention from his schoolmates. And unfortunately, envy and malcontent escalate further as throng of unruly and vicious gang of boys, seek to destroy the boys’ red balloon and his happiness. His grandmother also expresses her disapproval of the balloon remaining inside the residence and prohibits Pascal from letting the balloon occupy their humble abode. His grandmother takes the balloon and releases it into the air from the apartment window. However, the balloon doesn’t drift off into the air. It remains steadfast, and floats by his window, where later, Pascal retrieves it, taking it back into his own room.

On a somber Sunday morning, a religious figure later rebukes Pascal, when his balloon follows both him and his grandmother into a religious service. They are both ejected from the cathedral. Pascal spends the rest of that Sunday afternoon wandering the quiet streets of Paris with his balloon. Pascal and his red balloon narrowly escape the gang of boys that chase after him through the narrow cobblestoned back alleyways of Ménilmontant, Paris.

Pascal spies some sweets in a nearby shoppe and steps inside to purchase an eclair. Unfortunately, the gang of boys discovers Pascal, and find that his beloved red balloon is floating outside unattended, patiently awaiting his friends return. They abscond it. Pascal exits the shoppe, only to discover that his balloon has disappeared. He searches desperately to locate his friend. He soon finds it floating haphazardly above the fray in a back alley, while the gang of boys attempt to destroy it with rocks and other sharp objects.

*****Spoilers Ahead*****

The gang succeeds and destroys the balloon, leaving the boy bereft of his one loyal friend, and the sadness and loneliness that follows. However, balloons all over Paris fly out the of hands of their owners, and make their way to the boy, who captures them. He is then escorted on a magical ride in the air over the city.

Now I’m going to dive deeper into this films meaning for me. The color red is interpreted in many ways. It can mean Danger. It can mean aggression. It can mean passionate desire. It can mean confidence. I for one believe it means Love; Compassionate Love. It is a love that transcends, space, time, social or economic status. It is an all-encompassing love. A love that sees past one’s exterior and seeks to see the true beauty of one’s own soul and that of others. For me it was a symbol of hope as well. A hope that there are better things for me, and for society. It is no surprise that the balloon was the color red. The Le Ballon Rouge loved his human friend, as did Pascal love his Le Ballon Rouge in equal measure.

I interpret the gang of boys in this film as a conglomeration of all the egregious attributes of society, or even individuals. Namely Prejudice, malice, arrogance, and other licentious behaviors.

This movie always makes me cry. I cry because I understand the pain of loss all too well. Life is so fleeting. Regrettably, there are those who will seek to destroy your happiness. I would admonish you all to seek what makes you happy and hold on to it for dear life, for as long as you can. Allez trouver votre ballon rouge.