There are three short films that I can recall watching when I was a child - 'The Telephone box', which was a very disturbing tale from Spain (apparently, I have since learnt, it was made for Spanish TV), a rather odd film about a world contained within a dandelion (and that is about all I can recall about it, I can not even remember its title), and 'The Red Balloon'.
Of all these it is the Red Balloon that brings back the greatest memories of my own childhood. What appealed to me was the simplicity of it, just a little boy, about my own age when I first saw the film, befriended by a red balloon, which causes fun and chaos wherever they go! That is about it, and the ending, which is very sad! A few years ago my local cinema managed to obtain a crisp new print of the film, and I watched the film through the eyes of an adult. This gave me a new insight into the film, and now I realise that the film is not just about friendship, but also about dealing with the world at large, growing up, lost innocence etc. I think the reason why this wonderful little film has remained a favourite over the years is because of this, the fact that its simple narrative contains enough to relate so much more than the surface.
It is my hope to see the film again in, say, 20/30 years time, ie when I am reaching the autumn of my life, and to see if the magic holds up through the eyes of an older man.
Of all these it is the Red Balloon that brings back the greatest memories of my own childhood. What appealed to me was the simplicity of it, just a little boy, about my own age when I first saw the film, befriended by a red balloon, which causes fun and chaos wherever they go! That is about it, and the ending, which is very sad! A few years ago my local cinema managed to obtain a crisp new print of the film, and I watched the film through the eyes of an adult. This gave me a new insight into the film, and now I realise that the film is not just about friendship, but also about dealing with the world at large, growing up, lost innocence etc. I think the reason why this wonderful little film has remained a favourite over the years is because of this, the fact that its simple narrative contains enough to relate so much more than the surface.
It is my hope to see the film again in, say, 20/30 years time, ie when I am reaching the autumn of my life, and to see if the magic holds up through the eyes of an older man.