To a child, a favorite toy acquires a life of its own, with the child as its master.  In the 34-minute French movie, Albert Lamorisse‘s The Red Balloon (1956), it is for a child (Pascal Lamorisse) that a balloon acquires a life of its own, magically.

This simple short became famous, and has endured, because it is beautifully and enticingly put together, inevitably in color and with several excellent set pieces.  Alas, it is not very moving, but it has the kind of unfailing charm of which a director like Truffaut in his films made such a contribution.  Lamorisse proved the worth of his instincts.

(In French with English subtitles)

The Red Balloon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)