Does anyone remember watching The Red Balloon in School

[Joe90]

Holy Blast From The Past!!!

I remember seeing that in the mid-1960's.

[Adam West]

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.

That's the one...a french kid who sees a red balloon that follows him everywhere...no dialogue. From the best I can remember, the kid develops some type of bond to the balloon, a bunch of kids throw rocks at the balloon until it pops, the kid gets upset until a bunch of balloons immediately attract to the kid who grabs them all which lifts him up to the sky.

As others have said, they showed this movie I don't know how many times in grade school but never discussed the movie afterwards. That's the one part I don't understand. Why did they show us this movie over and over again as though we were supposed to get all the subtle nuiances of the movie (you can look it up on wikipedia if you want to gather more insight as to how different critics interpreted the movie) and then just never say a word about it after it was over....not even a "did you like the movie? what does the balloon mean to you? Nothing."

As I'm reading through the thread and am hearing that others all across the country experienced the same thing....seeing the movie multiple times with zero discussion. Does anyone have any ideas on what was up with this?

[HardyGirl]

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"

????

Yeah, I remember J.T., we also had the book in several of my classrooms. I remember watching Free To Be You and Me on TV when I was little. Our class had the book, and we sang the song in assembly. Was Paddle Out To Sea about the Wooden Indian in a canoe, and it had written on the bottom of it "Please Put Me Back In The Water"? A man had carved the Indian and sent him on a journey, and a few people found him. A little boy wanted to keep him, but grew tired of him after all of his paint chipped off. So after he was put back in the water, another man found his and re-painted him.

[Joe90]

Yeah, I remember J.T., we also had the book in several of my classrooms. I remember watching Free To Be You and Me on TV when I was little. Our class had the book, and we sang the song in assembly. Was Paddle Out To Sea about the Wooden Indian in a canoe, and it had written on the bottom of it "Please Put Me Back In The Water"? A man had carved the Indian and sent him on a journey, and a few people found him. A little boy wanted to keep him, but grew tired of him after all of his paint chipped off. So after he was put back in the water, another man found his and re-painted him.

It was Paddle To The Sea.

That was another movie I saw in my school days. It's a Classic!

[HardyGirl]

It was Paddle To The Sea.

That was another movie I saw in my school days. It's a Classic!

Yes, that the one! I remember seeing this one on a field trip when I was little. I didn't exactly remember it right, but I always wondered what it was called. Thanks!

[EmergencyIan]

I too watched "the Red Balloon" in school. I've always remembered it, but I never have mentioned it to anyone. I figured no one would know what I was talking about...lol


- Ian

[UnderdogDJLSW]

In Maryland the 70's school system did the same thing. Red Balloon, I think, was just shipped out country-wide on 16mm to every school that had a projector. I remember being so bored watching it. We did also get the Lorax at time, too. Liked that one.
One time we even got to see the doc on Woodstock. Go figure.

[Adam West]

In Maryland the 70's school system did the same thing. Red Balloon, I think, was just shipped out country-wide on 16mm to every school that had a projector. I remember being so bored watching it. We did also get the Lorax at time, too. Liked that one.
One time we even got to see the doc on Woodstock. Go figure.

Where did you grow up in Maryland? I'm also in Maryland and went to school in Montgomery County but now live a little north in Frederick County?

[Joe90]

Yes, that the one! I remember seeing this one on a field trip when I was little. I didn't exactly remember it right, but I always wondered what it was called. Thanks!

Here's another NFB Classic from the same era...

Toys

[Joe90]

Red Balloon Part 1

Red Balloon Part 2

Red Balloon Part 3

Red Balloon Part 4