Kritzerland is proud to present a world premiere release of the score to one of the most beloved films of all time:
THE RED BALLOON
Composed and Conducted by Maurice Le Roux
Upon its release in 1956, The Red Balloon, a thirty-five minute short film from France captured everyone’s hearts and imagination all around the world. It was a simple, tiny, perfect film about a young boy who finds a red balloon one fine day, and the relationship that ensues, a true and wonderful friendship between boy and balloon. And since its release it has certainly become one of the most beloved films of all time, each new generation discovering its beautiful story anew. Most amazingly, the film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, the first and only time a short film has won such a major award.
The Red Balloon is almost completely devoid of dialogue (the handful of lines are just throwaways), many scenes play with music only, and some play with natural sound only. Albert Lamorisse, the film’s writer/director, just tells his beautiful little tale as simply as he can. That he makes us believe that a balloon is a real character is a testament to the magic spell he weaves from beginning to end. In its thirty-five minutes it has everything - laughter, tears, and one of the most moving and beautiful finales in the history of the movies.
The Red Balloon featured Lamorisse’s son Pascal as Pascal and his daughter Sabine also appears. The gorgeous Technicolor photography was by the wonderful French cameraman Edmond Sechan, who would go on to photograph several of Philippe de Broca’s classics, including That Man from Rio and Up to His Ears. And the music, which gives the film so much of its heart, was by Maurice Le Roux. Le Roux’s score hits all of the film’s emotional bases and does so simply, effectively, and beautifully. The film begins with his gorgeous, lyrical main theme, and the rest of the score musically tells this wonderful story brilliantly, whether playful (the balloon tormenting the headmaster of the school, the magical sequence of the red balloon flirting with a little girl’s blue balloon), or tense when the bullies steal the balloon, and then the stunning sequence when all the balloons of Paris unite and find Pascal, and lift him into the skies for his joyous, exhilarating ride over the city.
The natural companion piece is, of course, Jean Prodromides’ incredible score to Le Voyage en Ballon, which was the film Albert Lamorisse made after The Red Balloon - it was his first feature-length film. Prodromides’ score for Le Voyage en Ballon is filled with beautiful themes that, like the film itself, take flight, and it takes the listener on a musical journey that is truly breathtaking.
The Red Balloon is taken from acetates and has been restored by Chris Malone, who did the unbelievable work on Kritzerland’s releases of A Place in the Sun, and more importantly, It’s a Wonderful Life. Acetates are never going to sound like tape and are never optimal, but Chris Malone did a great job and unless someone actually finds the tapes (if that hasn’t happened in sixty years it’s probably not going to happen anytime soon), this is as good as we’re going to get. The score to Le Voyage en Ballon has been on CD a couple of times, but for this release, Chris Malone has done major work on it and it now sounds better than it ever has.
The Red Balloon is limited to 1000 copies only. -KRITZERLAND
トラックリスト
THE RED BALLOON
• Main Titles Pascal Finds the Red Balloon School/Balloon in the Rain • Home Balloon Games Detention/Following the Headmaster Tormenting the Headmaster/ Free from Detention/Flirting Balloons Church/Pastries/Stolen Balloon/ Rescued Balloon/Death of the Balloon • Balloons Unite/Pascal in Flight
モンマルトルの町並みを舞台に、少年と赤い風船の交流をポエティックに描きあげた1956年の傑作ファンタジー「赤い風船」のサウンドトラックが世界初リリース！さらに同監督による「素晴らしい風船旅行」（音楽：ジャン・プロドロミデス）が今までにない良音質で同時収録！限定1000枚。
トラックリスト『赤い風船』・・・生命を持ったかのようにたゆたう風船の描写と少年の自然な反応、その赤い色を基調に据えた画面の美しさとそれを支えた撮影の見事さ。ほとんど台詞を排して映像だけで物語るその様は“珠玉の短編”と呼ぶに相応しい。カンヌ映画祭短編グランプリ受賞。監督：アルベール・ラモリス、出演：パスカル・ラモリス、シュザンヌ・クルーティエ。1956年米。
『赤い風船』・・・大空を自由に散策できる気球を開発した老科学者（アンドレ・ジル）がパリを出発。空飛びたさに同乗してきた孫（パスカル・ラモリス）と老人を乗せて空高く舞い上がる気球。地上では装備を自動車に積んだ助手（モーリス・バケ）が伴走し、いよいよ冒険旅行が始まった。ラモリス自身が空中撮影用に開発した“ヘリヴィジョン”によって描かれる空の旅は、何とも言えないのどかさと美しさに満ち溢れている。アルプスなどの自然の景観も圧倒的に素晴らしいが、何でもない市井の風情や、野を駆ける鹿の雄大さ、風の舞うまま踊り続ける洗濯物の描写など、“天使の視点”から見たような数々の映像はまさに幻想的。この監督がどんなささやかな物でさえも“ファンタジー”にしてしまえる事を物語っている。ジャン・プロドロミデスの緩やかな、そして甘美なメロディに乗せて展開される１時間半。1960年米。
Kritzerland is proud to present a world premiere release of the score to one of the most beloved films of all time:
THE RED BALLOON
Composed and Conducted by Maurice Le Roux
Upon its release in 1956, The Red Balloon, a thirty-five minute short film from France captured everyone’s hearts and imagination all around the world. It was a simple, tiny, perfect film about a young boy who finds a red balloon one fine day, and the relationship that ensues, a true and wonderful friendship between boy and balloon. And since its release it has certainly become one of the most beloved films of all time, each new generation discovering its beautiful story anew. Most amazingly, the film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, the first and only time a short film has won such a major award.
The Red Balloon is almost completely devoid of dialogue (the handful of lines are just throwaways), many scenes play with music only, and some play with natural sound only. Albert Lamorisse, the film’s writer/director, just tells his beautiful little tale as simply as he can. That he makes us believe that a balloon is a real character is a testament to the magic spell he weaves from beginning to end. In its thirty-five minutes it has everything - laughter, tears, and one of the most moving and beautiful finales in the history of the movies.
The Red Balloon featured Lamorisse’s son Pascal as Pascal and his daughter Sabine also appears. The gorgeous Technicolor photography was by the wonderful French cameraman Edmond Sechan, who would go on to photograph several of Philippe de Broca’s classics, including That Man from Rio and Up to His Ears. And the music, which gives the film so much of its heart, was by Maurice Le Roux. Le Roux’s score hits all of the film’s emotional bases and does so simply, effectively, and beautifully. The film begins with his gorgeous, lyrical main theme, and the rest of the score musically tells this wonderful story brilliantly, whether playful (the balloon tormenting the headmaster of the school, the magical sequence of the red balloon flirting with a little girl’s blue balloon), or tense when the bullies steal the balloon, and then the stunning sequence when all the balloons of Paris unite and find Pascal, and lift him into the skies for his joyous, exhilarating ride over the city.
The natural companion piece is, of course, Jean Prodromides’ incredible score to Le Voyage en Ballon, which was the film Albert Lamorisse made after The Red Balloon - it was his first feature-length film. Prodromides’ score for Le Voyage en Ballon is filled with beautiful themes that, like the film itself, take flight, and it takes the listener on a musical journey that is truly breathtaking.
The Red Balloon is taken from acetates and has been restored by Chris Malone, who did the unbelievable work on Kritzerland’s releases of A Place in the Sun, and more importantly, It’s a Wonderful Life. Acetates are never going to sound like tape and are never optimal, but Chris Malone did a great job and unless someone actually finds the tapes (if that hasn’t happened in sixty years it’s probably not going to happen anytime soon), this is as good as we’re going to get. The score to Le Voyage en Ballon has been on CD a couple of times, but for this release, Chris Malone has done major work on it and it now sounds better than it ever has.
The Red Balloon is limited to 1000 copies only. -KRITZERLAND
THE RED BALLOON
• Main Titles
Pascal Finds the Red Balloon
School/Balloon in the Rain
• Home
Balloon Games
Detention/Following the Headmaster
Tormenting the Headmaster/
Free from Detention/Flirting Balloons
Church/Pastries/Stolen Balloon/
Rescued Balloon/Death of the Balloon
• Balloons Unite/Pascal in Flight
Composed and Conducted by Maurice Le Roux
LE VOYAGE EN BALLON
• Generique – Introduction/Les Cloches de Bethune
Envoi
Ballet de la Chemise Blanche
Alsace/Les Vosges
Paris
Chenoceaux/La Chasse
Les Grands Voliers/Goemons
Poursuite en Bretagne
• Les Alpes/Les Glaciers
Provence
Camargue/Les Taureaux/Les Flamands Roses
• Finale
Composed and Conducted by Jean Prodromidès