Criterion Challenge 2024
37. Genre: FamilyStowaway in the Sky, directed by Albert Lamorisse, 1960
Akira Kurosawa called this one of his favorite films of all time. Who am I to question his taste?
Young Pascal, played by Lamorisse’s son, is enthralled by his grandfather’s invention: a balloon that can be controlled while in the sky. Excited about his grandfather’s test flight, Pascal hides aboard the balloon. He is quickly discovered, forcing his grandfather to take him along on this flight demonstration. It’s a simple setup with huge payoffs that are just as magic as The Red Balloon, which was the first of Lamorisse’s films that I had seen. We follow Pascal and grandfather as they travel the world, scaling the sky high above everyone else. The overhead shots of people, places, and things are simply magical. Sure, the footage itself might not be impressive on their own, but when placed in the context of a wonderful journey, it is beautiful. Accompanying these kinds of shots are pieces of film that feel magic in their own right. Simple shots of the balloon in the sky amidst a landscape are incredibly charming - a shot of the balloon with parachutists in the air along with it come to mind. When we do see the characters in the balloon along with what they’re looking at, it feels seamless, as if there was no other way those shots could have been made unless - somehow - a huge clunky camera was also in a balloon complete with lighting crew and everything.
Criterion Challenge 2024
37. Genre: FamilyStowaway in the Sky, directed by Albert Lamorisse, 1960
Akira Kurosawa called this one of his favorite films of all time. Who am I to question his taste?
Young Pascal, played by Lamorisse’s son, is enthralled by his grandfather’s invention: a balloon that can be controlled while in the sky. Excited about his grandfather’s test flight, Pascal hides aboard the balloon. He is quickly discovered, forcing his grandfather to take him along on this flight demonstration. It’s a simple setup with huge payoffs that are just as magic as The Red Balloon, which was the first of Lamorisse’s films that I had seen. We follow Pascal and grandfather as they travel the world, scaling the sky high above everyone else. The overhead shots of people, places, and things are simply magical. Sure, the footage itself might not be impressive on their own, but when placed in the context of a wonderful journey, it is beautiful. Accompanying these kinds of shots are pieces of film that feel magic in their own right. Simple shots of the balloon in the sky amidst a landscape are incredibly charming - a shot of the balloon with parachutists in the air along with it come to mind. When we do see the characters in the balloon along with what they’re looking at, it feels seamless, as if there was no other way those shots could have been made unless - somehow - a huge clunky camera was also in a balloon complete with lighting crew and everything.
