Does anyone remember watching The Red Balloon in School

[Adam West]

I saw the post about 99 luft balloons and remembered that my wife and I were just talking about this movie the other day.

It was a French Film that had no spoken words in it other than the kid saying "La Balloon Reuge" when it was popped by a bunch of kids.

The movie was only about 20 minutes or so long but they used to play that movie in Elementary School all the time.

The odd part is neither of us remember the teachers discussing anything about the movie, symbolism, themes, nothing.

My wife even made a comment that she thought maybe it was one of those short movies that was used as a time filler. I realize the film won an Oscar and all kinds of prestigious awards but our teachers would show us this film over and over and never discuss it.

As an Elementary School kid, I didn't have critical thinking skills to the point of being able to discuss what I thought the balloon represented or even world events at the time and my wife and I still scratch our heads wondering why the teachers would continually show us this movie but never talk about it afterwards.

Anyone else remember watching this film in Elementary School over and over again?

[Mikey]

Never heard of it ..........

But if it was based on 99 luft balloons I was well out of elementary school at the time.

[wyatterb]

I remember seeing this thing throughout elementary school. I don't remember any discussion about it, other than "we're watching this again?"

[HardyGirl]

Someone brought this up on another board that I'm on just yesterday. Yes, I remember this film. We'd often watch it in assembly on Movie days, (the film folks, not a video!) They also used to show this on the CBS Children's Film Festival on Saturdays.

[knight errant00]

They'd run "Red Balloon" pretty frequently at my grade school, and a couple others as well. Anyone else remember

"Paddle to the Sea"
"J.T. and the Cat"
"Free to Be You and Me"

????

[sauce]

'free to be' and 'red balloon' i remember. also, 'the miracle of life'. i'll never forget how some kid turned the film projector to reverse after the baby was born so we could watch it crawling back inside the womb. crazy!

[Vortigern99]

Yes, I too remember the Red Balloon, and I also wonder that we never, to my recollection, discussed the purpose of the film or why it was shown to us repeatedly! This was in the late 70s, BTW, before the Nena video or song had been produced.

I was lucky in that my elementary school, Briargrove, was one of a select number in Houston that had a "Literature Center" which owned several VCRs (in 1978!) and film projectors. They used to show us Dr. Seuss videos (I especially loved the Lorax), the Hobbit, that weird movie about a box full of love, and others.

[Brue]

I saw it in grade school and remembered it fondly.
Joe D gave me a copy when I bought some other stuff last year. Not as good as I remembered.

[Goblin19]

Yep, I remember it. It's actually very good, as I recall.

[mitchedwards]

Never saw it at school, but the CBS playhouse use to air it all the time

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I remember seeing a film about a red balloon on tv when I was a kid...no dialogue, not sure if that's the one you are referring to.

[Shanester]

Yells yes, I remember this film. Not long ago I was talking to my wife about it. Seems she never had the pleasure...

[jwyblejr]

Never seen it. I remember seeing all of the Disney films about health and science and stuff like that.

[z3zep]

Yes, I remember seeing Red Balloon too. Quite a few times, and no discussion in my school either.

So what did it mean?

[megoat]

Yeah, I remember it. Haven't seen it in years.

According to Wikipedia, the film is from 1956.