Film Comment: The Red Balloon

One day as he's walking down one of the old and empty streets of Montmartre, a little boy named Pascal sees a large shiny red balloon with its thick cord loosely wrapped around the top of a lamp post. being a boy, he shimmies up the pole to claim his prize and soon learns a secret. The balloon is alive.

The balloon follows Pascal around town and hovers outside his bedroom window after his mother throws it out of the house. Pascal secretly lets it into his room through his window.

The next day the balloon goes to school with Pascal and waits outside for him. The children of the town take a liking to the balloon, then some take a wanting to it, then some decide it would be fun to pop it. Pascal does his best to escape and to protect his treasure, but he fails and the balloon ends up as a shriveled pile of limp rubber in a bare field of rocks and dirt. Then something wonderful happens.

If you haven't seen The Red Balloon (Le ballon rouge, 1954), I won't ruin it for you. You need to see this wonderful classic children's film for yourself. (Yes, I know you're an adult. So what?) Many people will remember The Red Balloon from their childhood. Watch it again and recapture your childlike wonder and delight. Then watch it again and turn on your Christian adult eyes. This film has been described as a childhood fable of friendship, an allegory about love and loss, a minor trifling fantasy, and many other things.

The director of The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse (the real life father of the little boy Pascal, whose name means "Easter"), was a Roman Catholic and intentionally or not, he has filled the story with Christian symbolism.

The balloon knocks at Pascal's door; numerous friendly people (angels?) shelter Pascal and the balloon from the rain; the balloon causes discord within Pascal's family; the religious authorities do not respond favorably to the balloon; the children at first love the balloon and then want to kill it; after being killed, the balloon is resurrected and takes Pascal along with it.

Children often learn better from being shown than by being told. THis gentle film can be used to illustrate many Christian concepts in a visual manner which children will quickly grasp.

Albert Lamorisse appears to have never explained his intent with this film. He died not long after in a helicopter crash while making another film. He described The Red Balloon simply as a children's story.
I think old Albert knew exactly what he was doing.