The Red Balloon
For a period of time in the 60’s and 70’s, Albert Lamorisse’s short film Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) was one of the most acclaimed and beloved children’s movies in the world. I myself was not exposed to this charming fantasy short until college, but to date it is the film I remember best from my time in film school. And what better day to celebrate it than today– it’s 65th anniversary!
Set in the grey and melancholy streets of Paris, The Red Balloon follows a little boy Pascal (Lamorisse’s son) and his pet/friend, a sentient and comparatively vibrant red balloon. As soon as Pascal happens upon his Ballon! on a random street corner, they form a connection– Pascal trains it to follow him like a pet, to loyally wait for him while he’s at school or inside a local patisserie, and to flee the bullies that would harm them both.
A prizewinner at Cannes, the 34 minute film also won an Academy Award for its screenplay, despite only featuring a few lines of dialogue. But then, viewers don’t miss the talking– the bond between Pascal and his balloon doesn’t require verbal expression or clarification. Lamorisse is a genius when it comes to his utilization of color, framing and fanciful music, and the expert employment of all three accomplishes more much more than pages of dialogue.
The lack of spoken words also allows for some brilliant slapstick comedy. Every time I watch The Red Balloon, I’m struck by the precision of Lamorisse’s timing and his strategic use of long and medium shots to allow the camera to capture a personality in the balloon’s bobbing movements. It is, without a doubt, one of the most magical and poignant movies I’ve ever seen, and while the ending may have you in tears, they’re likely to be happy ones.
Because this is a short film, I kept the corresponding menu relatively small. That said, it smacks of a simple lunch or dinner in Paris, and when paired with a light red wine (I went with a French Syrah) the hope is that you feel whisked away to France, preferably by a small army of enchanted balloons.
The Movie
The Menu
Nothing says French cuisine like flaky, buttery puff pastry. Add in some burst cherry tomatoes and behold-- a magical balloon-shaped treat that tastes DELIGHTFUL with a glass of syrah! Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unfold puff pastry sheet and cut into a 10-inch round; chill, covered, until ready to use. Melt butter in an oven-proof 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, a pinch each of sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until onions are golden and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and let cook off to prevent the onions from burning as they caramelize. In the same skillet, add the second 1/2 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium. Add tomatoes and toss to coat with oil. Cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes start to burst, releasing their juices. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest completely, releasing more juices that eventually you'll discard. In yet again the same pan, combine sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and lightly caramelizes, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and bring to a brief boil-- reduce heat and swirl until slightly thickened. Return tomatoes to the pan and spread evenly over the bottom-- they should be tightly packed, but not SQUISHED. You want them to keep their balloon-y shape. Sprinkle thyme leaves, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper over tomatoes, followed by your caramelized onions in an even layer. Top tomatoes and onions with puff pastry round, and tuck the edges into the pan. Prick the top of the pastry with holes to let out steam. Bake tart until crust is puffed up and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes, then run a knife around pastry to loosen it from pan. Next, the moment of truth-- flip your pan onto a serving platter. You may need to pour off a bit of tomato juice to prevent the pastry from getting soggy as the tarte sits until serving. To serve, slice into wedges and garnish with a few extra fresh thyme leaves. In honor of Lamorisse's own use of blue, white and red in The Red Balloon, I've created a blue cheese and endive salad that perfectly complements the flavors of the tarte tatin above. Bon appetit! If you haven't already, slice the endive and apple and toast your walnuts! Just before serving, toss all ingredients together, beginning with a couple of tbsp of vinaigrette and adding more per your preference. You can find my recipe for a simple French Vinaigrette here!
Ballon! Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
Instructions
Blue and White Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Epilogue
If you enjoyed The Red Balloon, I highly recommend Lamorisse’s other fantasy short White Mane. Both films are currently part of the Criterion Collection, and when watched together leave you feeling whimsical and sad and happy all at once. A short clip from White Mane is below:
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!