le ballon rouge

i recently listened to an edition of bbc radio's film programme and the host, francine stock, had a discussion about films that were life-altering or shaped the way we experience and live in the world. she read some responses from her viewers and talked with oscar winning screenwriter julian fellows about the films that such made an indelible imprint on their lives. the responses were heartfelt and showed the genuine profundity that movies have on our culture.

it got me thinking about what movie either changed my life or was the catalyst for what is now my passion for the cinemas. it took awhile, but i started thinking about the films that really moved me as a child. scorsese has said italian neo-realism films and hollywood musicals from the 1930s forever molded his cinematic sensibility and spielberg has never been shy about his early love affair with cecil b. demille's 'the greatest show on earth' and john ford's 'the searchers.' it's interesting that at a young age art can leave such a lasting impression. i think the first film i saw in the theater was tim burton's 'batman.' i remember it being big, exciting, and dark. however, if i were to credit one movie with having a significant influence over me it has to be albert lamorisse's 'le ballon rouge.' it's a stunning short film that i watched sometime in the fourth or fifth grade in my spanish class. it wasn't unusual to me that we were watching a french film in a spanish class, but it was unusual to me that something as simple as a movie without dialogue about a child obsessed with a toy could be so poignant and articulate about what it means to be a child. formally it's breathtaking in its subtlety that is perfectly aligned with the kind of cinema i typically enjoy now as a young adult. it's a wonderful and impressionistic tale about innocent infatuation, loss, and joy from the prospective of a child. something as simple as a red balloon can bring such untamed happiness to a person. that kind of optimism is still relevant for me and i think for the world. it is easy for others to often misunderstand us, therefore when we connect with something that does not judge us and reciprocates us, it easy to understand why the film resonated on such a strong level with me. perhaps we should follow our red balloon and rejoice when we magically float into our own utopia.

for your viewing pleasure, here is the somber but sublime masterpiece that forever changed my life...
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'le ballon rouge'
dir., albert lamorisse
1956


what film changed your life?