I am rather embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of The Red Balloon until last year when it was suggested to me by my Netflix account. Their computer thought I would enjoy it based on other films I had already rented. So I put it in my queue and last week it arrived in my mailbox. We watched it Saturday night. Yep, 1950s foreign language films is how we roll on weekend nights at our house.
From Netflix, "In The Red Balloon, a boy spends a magical afternoon chasing a red balloon across Paris. Albert Lamorisse
directed this charming story and cast his 6-year-old son Pascal in the
lead role, creating a memorable fable about friendship and loss..."
This 34 minute film is essentially dialog free yet, curiously, Lamorisse won the best Screenplay Oscar for it in 1956.
I mentioned it to a few people this week and found out that I am the only person I know who didn't see it (or doesn't remember it) as a child. Donna was eight, she said, and I think she enjoyed it as much the second time as I did seeing it for the first. Whimsical, magical, charming, with an ending that I certainly didn't see coming. If you have young children I recommend it highly.
On the same DVD was another of the director's acclaimed films, the 47 minute White Mane, also new to me. This gorgeous black and white movie from 1953 is the story of a boy trying to tame a wild horse in the marshes of Camargue in southwest France.
I would not recommend this to the very young as a fight between two horses is quite violent and difficult to watch. Otherwise, it is a beautiful movie with another remarkable and unexpected ending. Oui oui s'il vous plaît!!
So what little gems do you love? What unheralded movies for children would you recommend to the other readers?
The movie is called Peege. It's from 1972 and runs about 28 minutes. Not exactly for
children, but it was entered into the sixth grade curriculum.
Posted by: Geo | March 17, 2008 at 04:48 AM
In this rare instance your non-existant childhood memories reflect reality. I saw the movie for the first time when I gave a copy to THE REDHEAD for her birthday. I got credit for a fine gift even though I missed her birthday by a few months.
Posted by: brother john | March 17, 2008 at 05:48 AM
you don't remember because of the "accident"
Just saw a film at the Cleveland Film Festival. "Wild horse Redemption" from Canada. Young people, especially at-risk kids should see this if they can get ahold of it
Posted by: LS | March 17, 2008 at 05:58 AM
I have never seen or heard of the Red Balloon before.
Movies I recommend: The Christmas Carol (Muppet version or Classic Mickey version), Herbie goes to Monte Carlo, E.T., and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
I've heard the Goonies is a good movie as well but have never seen it.
Posted by: Raul | March 17, 2008 at 06:28 AM
Wow, thanks, Raul!!!! That is an unheralded little gem. How did you ever even find a movie as obscure as "E.T."?
Posted by: Paulie | March 17, 2008 at 07:48 AM
I recently saw Once. It is a modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.
Posted by: Jerry | March 17, 2008 at 07:49 AM
King of Kong fistfull of quarters is so engaging. You actually have someone to root for and someone to hate.
Also a surf movie called "step into liquid" it is shot beautiful and is well made
Posted by: Eric Leckey | March 17, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Kiki's Delivery Service----it's a Japanese animated movie about a little girl growing up in the big city. Yeah, she's a witch delivering packages as an after-school job, but the backbone of the movie is the human sentiments of a young girl growing up in a big city. Plus it's gorgeous---every background painting would look perfectly normal hanging in a nice frame on an office wall. It's animated, but most live-action movies aren't this convincing.
Posted by: Grey | March 17, 2008 at 08:36 AM
While I would highly recommend the book first and foremost, I still adored the movie version of The Phantom Tollbooth as a child. In my opinion, it's the most entertaining and whimsical story I've ever read. My father used to read it to me as a child and I still read the book on occassion even as an adult.
Posted by: Jackie | March 17, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Right now we have Kiki's Delivery Service from Netflix..can't wait to watch! and we just finished watching King of Kong too. Very Interesting!!!!
My gem for the little ones would be Last Unicorn...it's cute, cheesy and you can pick up a Special Edition at Target!
Posted by: Liz | March 17, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Yesterday you write about graves being too shallow to fully conceal murder victims, today it's about foreign films for children. How could anyone not love Bean's Blog?
Posted by: Chad | March 17, 2008 at 09:14 AM
In my defense, I was half asleep when I was writing it and totally take back the E.T. and Willy Wonka movies as I know they are popular so on so forth...
Posted by: Raul | March 17, 2008 at 10:01 AM
I probably saw "Red Balloon" every rainy day in elementary school since we couldn't go to recess. The "delight" wore off with continued viewings. Once to break the boredom they ran the film backwards which was pretty cool. My recomendation for a film for kids...how bout "Kids" a whimsical slice of life of some skateboarders in Manhattan which includes a legless dwarf on the subway.
Posted by: bruin | March 17, 2008 at 10:35 AM
These suggestions coincide with Bean’s affection for independent and foreign films. Amelie is a pretty well known, well liked, French film starring Audrey Tautou. I also suggest The Station Agent. It was filmed in a rural mountainous area of northern New Jersey where I grew up. Not exactly a filming hot spot, but a place I have fond memories of.
Posted by: Virginia Jim | March 17, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Bruin, you're a twit. KIDS is horrifying and you know it.
But, like you, I saw THE RED BALLOON repeatedly in grade school -- and, oddly enough, always with SKINNY AND FATTY, the story of a heavy Japanese boy and his thin friend (and suitable for the younger set).
Posted by: dana | March 17, 2008 at 01:45 PM
Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" is fun for the whole family. But only children can understand it. Add this bad boy to your Netflix queue only if you want to be challenged.
Posted by: Rob | March 17, 2008 at 03:46 PM
Ok - so I admit this one isn't an artistic gem - and I don't even know if it's available - but I remember loving to watch "Bugsy Malone" with Scott Baio and Jodi Foster.
Posted by: DB | March 17, 2008 at 05:59 PM
War of the Buttons (1994)
Two rival gangs of small children strip each other of buttons and sometimes underwear in this funny, occasionally serious film. I caught it on tv one day half way through and loved it. It took me 4 years to find another copy to view but I still enjoyed it after all that time had passed.
Posted by: Edith | March 17, 2008 at 07:00 PM
Hi Bean,
There is a children's movie from Canada called "The Sweater", about a boy who's mom buys him the wrong hockey team sweater. It's very heartwarming!
Posted by: Phil | March 17, 2008 at 07:57 PM
I adore the movie "The Little Prince" - based on the book of the same name written by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. It follows the book closely and is very charming. check it out
Posted by: Monica | March 17, 2008 at 08:56 PM
oops... "the little prince" movie i like is the 1974 version.
Posted by: Monica | March 17, 2008 at 08:59 PM
we were shown the red balloon in elementary school. thats about all i remember of it.
there is a neat film called Into the West (1992) starring Gabriel Byrne. Two traveller boys find a white race horse that they try to hide and keep as their own.
Posted by: alisa | March 17, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Hey Bruin
I saw "The Red Balloon" repeatedly on rainy days at school backwards and forward. As I recall, even backwards it loses its charm after the 5th viewing. There was a Disney cartoon, (or maybe a couple) about safety that had Jiminy Cricket singing "I'm no fool". I remember enjoying those. Love the blog Bean!
Posted by: D in the oc | March 17, 2008 at 10:29 PM
when i have the time & energy, ill email you my "traumatic" story about "the red balloon" but i truly loved that movie as a kid....i actually remember crying watching it & i was 5!
anyways, another good movie was a cartoon called "the snowman"....it was a very sweet & magical movie!
enjoy your vacay!
me =)
Posted by: me! =) | March 18, 2008 at 12:13 AM
"I'm know fool, no sir-ree, I'm gonna live to be twenty-three, I play safe for you and me cuz I'm no fool." I can't believe I remember that chorus from 30 years ago. As I recall it always followed Goofy electrocuting himself or falling off a roof.
I asked my 12 year old if he's seen "Red Balloon" at school (the same that I attended)and indeed they are still trotting it out on rainy days.
Posted by: bruin | March 18, 2008 at 07:26 AM
I remember two movies that I loved, and always will love, from when I was younger. One is Bedknobs and Broomsticks, with Angela Landsbury in it. The other is Batteries Not Included, which is about little robot aliens that come to Earth. These are both great, entertaining films!
Posted by: Jamie | March 18, 2008 at 03:09 PM
I saw that freaky horse movie in grade school...
send me that DVD!
Posted by: Mark Davis | March 21, 2008 at 12:06 PM
I recently saw "The Italian" which is a Russian film about an orphan. Not quite for children but a wonderful movie. Also, Science of Sleep and, definitely not for kid, but I love Green Street Hooligans about a London football firm.
Posted by: Alli | March 25, 2008 at 07:13 AM
I too saw "The Red Ballon" several times on rainy days in school. The other one I always liked when they showed was an animated short called "Ben and Me" about an little mouse that lived in Ben Franklin's coat pocket and really did all the inventing that Ben got all the credit for. I have no idea how it still holds up as an adult.
Another reader suggested "Once"... while "Once was probably my favorite movie I saw last year the category Bean ask for was "Children's movies." As good as it is I would NOT suggest showing it to kids for the shear volumes of F-bombs those Irishmen drop (as I learned over the Christmas break when I decided to show the movie to my first-grade-teacher, Southern Baptist living in the bible belt mother. whoops! It only made it worse that I had the subtitles on so she could understand what they were saying better).
My favorite recent children's movie find (and now my favorite Christmas movie) is "Millions" directed by the same guy that direct Trainspotting. it's the sweetest brilliant movie... (And the best TV show I saw last year was the BBC's Jekyl. Not for kids at ALL but put THAT on your netflix queue! James Nesbit is the title character in that and the dad in Millions... 2 VERY different roles!)
Posted by: Julius Marx | April 09, 2008 at 04:28 PM