THE RED BALLOON/WHITE MANE — **** — Double feature of short films by Albert Lamorisse; in French, with English subtitles; not rated, probable G (violence)
The Academy Award-winning, 1956 short fantasy "The Red Balloon" has never been duplicated or equaled.
That hasn't stopped filmmakers from trying. A tongue-in-cheek 2000 "sequel," "Revenge of the Red Balloon," re-imagined it as a revenge tale, and Taiwanese screenwriter/director Hou Hsiao-hsien recently remade the short as a full-length feature starring Juliette Binoche. (That latter film hasn't been released in the United States.)
Even the original filmmaker, Albert Lamorisse, wrote a 1967 book that featured photos from the movie.
The Tower Theatre is presenting a remastered version of the film as part of a double feature of short works by Lamorisse.
• "THE RED BALLOON" is about what the title suggests: A young boy named Pascal (played by Lamorisse's son, Pascal) comes into possession of a red balloon that appears to have a mind of its own.
The balloon follows Pascal to school, to home and to church. And it even tries to stop Pascal's classmates from bullying the boy.
It's a simple fantasy told with charm and skill. Even the balloon has more "character" than many human creations in most of today's movies. (It "taunts" a cruel schoolmaster and "flirts" with another balloon at one point.)
It's still mind-blowing to think how Lamorisse and his crews coordinated the flight of dozens of balloons.
Also, the short has next to no dialogue, which might make it seem ironic that it deservedly won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 1957.
"The Red Balloon" is not rated but would probably receive a G. Running time: 33 minutes.
• LAMORISSE ACTUALLY MADE his debut with a pair of wildlife shorts, including the black-and-white, 1953 fantasy drama "White Mane."
The title refers to a wild horse that strays from its pack, encountering humans that either want to capture it or help it.
A young fisherman named Folco (Alain Emery) tries to befriend the beast, but the horse refuses to be tamed or ridden. That doesn't stop Folco from hiding White Mane and thwarting the overzealous ranchers who are pursuing the injured animal.
On whole, the film feels less innocent and is slightly less appealing than Lamorisse's subsequent short, though it is not without its charms. An English-language narration track by actor Frank Silvera sets an appropriate mood.
And Edmond Sechan's photography is stunning. He and his crews do an excellent job of capturing the beauty of France's Camargue marshlands.
"White Mane" is not rated but would probably receive a G, though it does contain some animal-related violence. Running time: 40 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com