Line #31 Film/TheRedBalloon


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/le_ballon.jpg]]
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3	''The Red Balloon'' (French: ''Le Ballon rouge'') is a 1956 34-minute short film about [[ABoyAndHisX a boy and his balloon]]. It was directed by Creator/AlbertLamorisse.
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5	One day, a young boy named Pascal finds [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a red balloon]]. The balloon is actually alive and has a sentient mind of its own. Thus, they set off an adventure in Paris.
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7	While a simplistic film made for children and to preserve the Ménilmontant section of Paris in film, critics noted the beautiful cinematography, woodwind score, and idealist allegories in a post-World War II Paris. It is noted as an art film.
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9	The film became a sensation in the United States especially with the children. Schools often show the film in cafeterias and the film, for a while, became the largest selling non-running theatrical print.
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11	The film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It is the only short film to win any of the five major Oscars (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay). It also won the Palme d'Or for short films at Cannes.
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13	It is also available on Creator/TheCriterionCollection.
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15	Compare ''Film/WhiteMane'', another ABoyAndHisX featurette by Albert Lamorisse that is light on dialogue.
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17	!!Tropes used:
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19	* AmbiguousEnding: The film ends with [[spoiler: the balloons taking Pascal into the sky. Where he goes is left to the imagination]].
20	* AnimateInanimateObject: It becomes clear that the balloon is sentient and is following the boy around.
21	* {{Balloonacy}}: In the ending, as not nearly enough balloons take the boy flying.
22	* BittersweetEnding: The balloon sinks to the ground and is popped by one of the bullies. But all the other balloons of Paris arrive and take the boy for a ride.
23	* ABoyAndHisX: The film is about a boy and his balloon and their friendship.
24	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Pascal and the girl with the blue balloon play it straight. It's averted by the GangOfBullies who pop his balloon.
25	* DistractedByTheSexy: The only time in the movie when the balloon leaves the boy comes when the balloon is distracted by a blue balloon.
26	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: We're introduced to Pascal petting a stray cat.
27	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The film is about a red balloon.
28	* ForcedToWatch: The bullies pop the red balloon with a slingshot right in front of Pascal.
29	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Pascal looks nervous when he arrives at school and sees the other kids, and when school gets out, he leaves after everyone else is gone. This indicates that [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer he's been bullied before]].
30	* GangOfBullies: The older street boys who chase after Pascal and eventually take the balloon.
31	* GayParee: Set in Paris, and the romantic-looking Paris of old buildings with character, not the Paris of gas stations and car dealerships.
32	* HateSink: Popping a sentient balloon out of spite certainly qualifies for the aforementioned GangOfBullies.
33	* HellIsThatNoise: The film manages to make the sound of kids cheering sound sinister.
34	* KarmaHoudini: The bullies get away with destroying the balloon.
35	* MagicalRealism: It's a film set in the real world, with a sentient balloon.
36	* MotiveDecay: The bullies go from wanting Pascal's balloon for themselves to outright destroying it.
37	* OffIntoTheDistanceEnding: The film ends with Pascal borne aloft by all the balloons, disappearing into the sky.
38	* RuleOfSymbolism: A number of stray animals are shown, with Pascal petting a stray cat in the opening shot. This may be a reference to Pascal himself feeling out of place in the world.
39	* ShortFilm: The film is only 34 minutes long.
40	* SilenceIsGolden: There are about four lines of dialogue in a 34-minute movie. It easily could have been made as a silent film.
41	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Definitely idealistic. Brian Gibson, film critic, writes that the film can be seen in an [[http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=7536 escapist stance]] towards Pascal.
42	* SlidingScaleOfLivingToys: The balloon is at Level 4.
43	* {{Walking Spoiler}}s: Floating technically, but they still fit. The various multi-colored balloons that show up at the end will give away the fact that the red balloon "dies".
44	* YouAreNotAlone: In the final scenes, as all the balloons of Paris come to the boy.

Context Film / TheRedBalloon