Le ballon rouge is a beautiful short film featuring a small boy and a large balloon wandering about the streets of Paris. The cinematography is top notch but the message is somewhat mixed. Is this an uplifting tale about childhood, as many reviewers appear to believe? I think not. It strikes me more as an introduction to a child of the reality of human commerce. Look at the adversaries the kid encounters: his parents, his school, the church, his peers. The enemy is everywhere! What is his solution? To leave. Think about that as a moral.
Review of The Red Balloon
