The Red Balloon (Released by Janus Films, in association with the Criterion Collection)

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The Red Balloon (Released by Janus Films, in association with the Criterion Collection) (1957)

Actors: Red Balloon
Directed By: Albert Lamorisse
Studio: Janus Films
Rating: G (General Audience)
Run Time: 34 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: March 11, 1957
DVD Release Date: April 29, 2008
Format: DVD
Genres: Kids & Family, Classics

Newly restored and available for the first time on DVD Albert Lamorisse's exquisite The Red Balloon remains one of the most beloved children's films of all time. In this deceptively simple nearly wordless tale a young boy discovers a stray balloon which seems to have a mind of its own on the streets of Paris. The two become inseparable yet the world's harsh realities finally interfere. With its glorious palette and allegorical purity the Academy Award-winning The Red Balloon has enchanted movie lovers young and old for generations.System Requirements:LENGTH: 34 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 715515028820 Manufacturer No: CC1746DDVD

movie review

Amazon.com Editorial Review:
The late French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse made this classic, 1956 short work about a lonely little Parisian boy (Pascal Lamorisse) befriended by a large red balloon, which seems to have a will of its own. As with his preceding short, 1952's White Mane, Lamorisse took home a grand prize from the Cannes Film Festival for The Red Balloon, and the latter film also won an Academy Award. There have been some stimulating pieces of film criticism (some pro, some con) written about the aesthetics of this little movie over the years, but there's no question it makes for a touching, allegorical piece always certain to prompt conversations among viewers of any age. --Tom Keogh