Albert Lamorisse's Le Ballon Rouge: Up an Away

I usually detest short films and not because there aren't any great ones out there, but only because the overwhelming majority have become formulaic calling cards for directors wanting to make features. Damn near every short I've seen in the last 10 years is intentionally quirky, tries desperately to be funny and without fail has a clever little twist at the end.

Back in high school I fell in love with the short story when exposed to writers like John Updike and Raymond Carver who wrote bittersweet stories that were both insightful and engaging. Short stories were the model I wanted short films to adhere to and those that are my favorites do. Albert Lamorisse's Le Ballon Rouge (1956) is a perfect example of what a short film should be. First and foremost it tells an engaging story about a little boy who befriends a red balloon, and, while on the surface this seems innocent, beneath the surface lurks a much deeper comment on the human condition.

Subtext aside, the most striking aspect of LBR is the mise en scène. In every single shot the monotone drabness of the Parisian backdrop provides a striking contrast to the little boy's ever present bright red balloon. This dramatic contrast speaks volumes, as if the balloon is a symbol for something alien that lures the little boy into a fantastic world that could only thrive in the blossoming imagination of the young, innocent and hopeful. As things become more and more magical, the innocence of the boy and the balloon's relationship is eventually encroached upon by the outside world. The events devolve into tragedy, but when hope appears lost, the boy is literally swept away by a fairy tale ending.Incredibly this film, where not a single line of dialogue is spoken, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay - the first and only short film to have ever won this distinction. Le Ballon Rouge is without a doubt a masterpiece, a poetic and magical little tale that is perfectly executed. Buy it, rent it or DL...just make sure you see it.