Everyday life becomes an adventure in the wide-eyed fables and fantasies of Albert Lamorisse. Balancing imaginative whimsy with documentary-like authenticity, his beloved short films Bim, the Little Donkey; White Mane; and the Academy Award–winning The Red Balloon find unforgettable emotional, spiritual, and moral resonance in the realms of children and animals, while his captivating but now rarely seen features Stowaway in the Sky and Circus Angel exult in the glories of two of his greatest loves: nature and flight. With their astonishing cinematography and purity of spirit, these five enchanting works invite viewers of all ages to experience the wonder, mystery, and poignancy of the world anew.

The Red Balloon – Rarely has the spirit of childhood been evoked as exquisitely as in this Academy Award–winning cinematic fable, a fantasy with the texture of reality. On the streets of 1950s Paris, a young boy (played by director Albert Lamorisse’s son, Pascal) is launched on a miraculous adventure when he’s playfully pursued by a shiny red balloon that seems to have a mind of its own—until the harsh realities of the world interfere, setting the stage for a deeply moving finale. Shot in beautifully muted Technicolor, this beguiling allegory of innocence and transcendence has inspired generations of viewers to let their imaginations take flight.

White Mane – Possessed of the timeless perfection of a fable, this tale about the unique bond between children and animals is Albert Lamorisse’s ode to the awe-inspiring majesty of nature. Amid the vast flatlands of the Camargue in the South of France lives White Mane, a magnificent wild stallion who refuses to be broken by men and instead forms a connection with a young boy, with whom he embarks on a daring quest for freedom. Fully capturing the rugged beauty of its marsh setting, this extraordinarily photographed treasure of children’s cinema—which won the Grand Prix for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival—speaks to the hearts of all creatures yearning to live untamed.

Bim, The Little Donkey – Featuring narration by celebrated poetic-realist writer Jacques Prévert, Albert Lamorisse’s first fiction film established his stylistic and thematic signatures: elegant simplicity, storybook-like voice-over, and empathetic concern for children and animals. Filmed on the Tunisian island of Djerba, this spirited adventure follows two boys—one poor and good-hearted, the other wealthy and spoiled—who go from rivals to friends as they set out to save a donkey from thieves. From the start, Lamorisse’s gift for bringing forth the inner lives of his nonhuman characters suffuses his art with an otherworldly magic.

Stowaway In The Sky – Following the international triumph of The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse turned to feature filmmaking with another delightful tale of a boy and a balloon. Making spectacular use of Hélivision—an innovative aerial photography technique he developed—Lamorisse takes us on the breathtaking odyssey of a young boy (played by his son, Pascal) who sneaks aboard his inventor grandfather’s experimental new hot-air balloon for a voyage across France. Soaring above cathedrals and castles, the Mediterranean and the Alps, Stowaway in the Sky celebrates the natural world and ponders, with surprising existential insight, the place of human beings within it.

Circus Angel – Albert Lamorisse’s second and final foray into narrative feature filmmaking is also a whimsical visual enchantment and an elegant and eccentric comedy. In it, a daring young thief (Philippe Avron)—having been affixed with a pair of wings in order to become a flying circus attraction—finds himself mistaken for an angel, spreading both mischief and goodwill as he travels across the countryside. Lamorisse’s love of flight and his gentle humanism shine through in this work of impish charm and exuberant inspiration.

For thoughts on The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse comes to Blu-Ray with new digital AVC encoded 1080p restorations for all five films on two discs. All five of these films provide an ideal viewing experience that fans are sure to appreciate, especially since several of them have been hard to track down for years. Given the relative brevity of three of the films, these works fit comfortably beside one another with no signs of compression artifacts or other unwanted digital anomalies.

The five films are somewhat interchangeable in a pleasing way in terms of providing unbelievable quality for audiences. The Red Balloon and White Man are both provided thanks to 4K restorations from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. Bim, the Little Donkey; Stowaway In The Sky; and Circus Angel were finished in 2K from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. Stylistically, Lamorisse evolves slightly with The Red Balloon leaping forward into color, but all of the films are gorgeous in the documentary-like approach beginning with Bim, the Little Donkey. The presentations are as close to pristine as you could wish for, as the new scans look quite terrific throughout each film. There were no observable instances of print damage, and overall clarity and detail are magnificent.

Lamorisse is a prime example of a visual storyteller, often eschewing straightforward guidance in favor of allowing the audience to sink into the fantastical. The way in which he captures his environments is visceral and presented better than ever here. Colors are rich and confidently saturated in The Red Balloon and Stowaway In The Sky in a visually dazzling manner. The black-and-white photography of the remaining three features command the contrast perfectly. Black levels hold up well with virtually nothing in the way of crush. Highlighlights are likewise quite firm. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. The transfer allows for some rich texture to shine through from the clothing and production design. This new collection is top-tier quality from beginning to end and should please any fan of the director.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with a remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track for each of these films in the original French with optional English subtitles. Alternative language options have been detailed in the special features section of the review. There do not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. The rather sparse amount of dialogue comes through clearly for the most part with no egregious signs of distortion, sibilance, or other weak elements. The music implemented within each feature sounds great throughout the set with firm fidelity. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm any competing information. Environmental sounds such as animal noises or ocean waves are rendered well alongside everything else. The Criterion Collection has given this collection the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.

Special Features

The Criterion Blu-Ray of The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse includes a substantial booklet featuring the essay “Head In The Clouds” by film critic David Cairns in which he delves into the career of Albert Lamorisse, individual thematic breakdowns of each film and much more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:

White Mane with optional English Narration by actor Peter Strauss

Bim, The Little Donkey – Original French Version (54:37) and U.S. Version (37:14)

Stowaway In The Sky with optional English Narration by actor Jack Lemmon

Circus Angel with optional English Audio

Pascal Lamorisse: A nearly 24-minute interview from 2023 with the son of director Albert Lamorisse and performer in several of his works. In this piece, the now grown-up Pascal discusses his father’s style, his experiences and insights into his films, the practical ways various moments were captured, his father’s need for creative independence, his father’s death, the legacy he leaves behind, and more.

Albert Lamorisse, 1957: A nine-minute excerpt from Pile ou face in which the director discusses his work with a group of young students, whether or not his films are made for children, the themes of some of his art, why they did not extend The Red Ballon as originally planned, and more.

Albert Lamorisse, 1959: A seven-minute excerpt from Le criterium du film in which the director discusses his philosophy of filmmaking, the inspirations for some of his work, his childhood memories, and more.

My Father Was A Red Balloon: A 49-minute documentary from 2008 is provided in which Pascal Lamorisse recounts to his daughter his experiences with his father the filmmaker that reveals not only a lot about Albert Lamorisse but also his own relationship to the material.

Final Thoughts

The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse feels like the perfect set to introduce a younger audience to world cinema while also transfixing the older cinephiles viewing the work. As a matter of fact, the older segment of the audience may need this set more, as it allows you to tap into a sense of childlike wonder which becomes less and less a part of our lives as the responsibilities of adulthood emerge. Not only are the films visually stunning, but themes are being explored that resonate quite effectively. This set is radiating with joy. The Criterion Collection has released a Blu-Ray set that features the films with a sumptuous A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of special features. Anyone who has been waiting for a proper representation of this filmmaker’s work, you are in good hands here. Recommended

The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.