And then again, perhaps such simplicity is what grants this unforgettable French film its awesome cinematic power.

The church is also full of modern carved sculptures, including one displayed outside.Ĭoincidently I found many red balloons for myself on Rue de Ménilmontant, as murals on walls and even a sad burst one on the street.Compared to the structural excesses of modern Hollywood films, The Red Balloon ( Le Ballon Rouge) feels truly overwhelming because of its visual and narrative minimalism. The church of Notre Dame de la Croix has been cleaned and glows in the sun, unlike in the film, where it looks black from the years of soot. Notre Dame de la Croix visible in the background The butchers shops in the film have now been replace with halal ones. There is a similar atmosphere to the area, as it is still a rather run down and most of the shops are boarded up. The number 96 bus still trundles down the hill. Much of the Rue de Ménilmontant, making up most of what is left from what we see in the film, is surprisingly Pascal, the little boy, runs away with his balloon In the film the balloon is a symbol of hope and happiness in a very grey and dreary city, the colour standing out against the murky buildings.

The old slums, now replaced with standard housing blocks Apparently only five per cent of what you see in the film is left today, as the film’s release prompted the demolition of the slums, which were replaced with housing projects in the 1960’s. Le Ballon Rouge was filmed in the Belleville area of Paris, which at the time was made up of slums. The film ends with all the balloons of Paris float to the sad boy and fly him away into the sky. A group of bullies, jealous of the boy and his friendly balloon, chase them through the streets and destroy it. The balloon follows him around, bobbling along behind him, on the bus to school, even getting him into trouble with his head teacher. He unties it, and finds out that it has a mind of its own. Le Ballon Rouge is a short, beautifully made film shot in colour, which tells the story of a little boy who finds a bright red balloon tied to a lamppost.

The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse