The first thing that I find interesting in the short film The Red Balloon which was filmed in 1956 by Christopher Anderson, is the topic of specific “wind” that propels the balloon throughout the whole picture. For instance, the balloon’s first movement is when Pascal was denied access to the bus and decided to run to the school. In this scene, the red balloon started to trail behind Pascal, showing that the energy of the character moves the balloon. Then it follows the boy, blowing the Paris wind to help him in some cases.
Another topic that can be considered of great importance in the film is the color of the balloon itself. As the name of the film suggests, the color of the balloon is red. However, in the 20th century, this red color was posed differently in other films; it was deeper and darker, creating a complex atmosphere for the film’s viewer. At the same time, in The Red Balloon, the red color of the helping balloon is pictured as a warm one, representing the sole and sacrifice dreams of the boy in post-war Paris.
Finally, the usage of such a simple object as the balloon in the role of Pascal’s accompaniment is also an exciting topic to discuss. It is worth mentioning how Christopher Anderson succeeds in using the mere balloon, converting it into the symbol of the boy’s dreams. For instance, there was a scene where Pascal’s grandfather takes his hot-air balloon to the demonstration, which makes the boy highly excited. At the same time, the red balloon became the minor variant of the hot-air balloon of Pascal’s grandfather, allowing the boy to go on an adventure.