David O'ConnellThe elusive Flight of the Red Balloon
May 23rd 2008 05:36
Flight of the Red Balloon is the latest release of Chinese director Hsiao-hsien Hou, a film set in Paris which takes its inspiration from Albert Lamorisse‘s famous award-winning short film, The Red Balloon, from 1956.
This new film, which stars Juliette Binoche as a harried, emotionally-wrought mother living in a cluttered Parisian apartment, is a frustrating experience and at times has the feel of an unfinished, experimental film. But there is still plenty to enjoy and admire in it’s lengthy running time.
Hou is an exceptional artist – there is no disputing the quiet, reflective poetry of his vision - and with the exquisite, delicate touch of cinematographer Pin Bing Lee by his side, he’s able to provide a visually pure canvas of overlapping images and subtly gliding camera moves which always give us something interesting to look at.
Binoche plays Suzanne, a voice actress for a puppeteer, and a busy mother looking after a young son Simon (Simon Iteanu). She’s just employed a young Chinese nanny for him, Song (Song Fang), a film student who has seen Lamorisse’s famous short and would like to film something similar as a homage. Suzanne barely sits or stands still, her life a hectic, chaotic mess, her attentions constantly distracted between her job, her son, her daughter who is studying in Brussels and her husband who has left to write a novel in another city. Then there are her tenants on the first floor to deal with who refuse to pay rent anymore, requiring her to bring in a lawyer friend to start legal proceedings against them.
Strewn throughout we are shown glimpses of the elliptical, elusive red balloon of the film’s title as well, following Simon and Song where they go, or hovering near their home. Sometimes quite unknowingly, with a mysterious life of his own, it ebbs and flows with the currents of air, almost as if attuned to the fortunes of those it oversees.
None of the characters’ development in the film takes shape or form in the traditional way that a narrative does in most other films, in fact it could be said that other than Suzanne they’re very thinly constructed. They simply play out their scant roles in an almost dream-like way - often seen lingering in mundane domestic moments - before an arbitrary point of conclusion, as chosen by the director, is reached.
Perhaps some of the film’s frustrations (or failings depending on your viewpoint) can be explained by the director’s apparent modus operandi – only outlines for each scene were devised with Hou encouraging his actors to improvise their dialogue, with mostly first takes being used for the final cut.
In the end Flight of the Red Balloon is a bit of a tease and far more likely to frustrate the average filmgoer with so many questions left unresolved and hanging at the end. There is no conventional drawing together of the threads here, no final resolutions to any of the characters’ stories. A lot of its themes remain ambiguous and obliquely explored.
For all it’s questionable points however, there is a certain fascination with it that lingered with me even after the confusing and abrupt ending. And fans of Binoche will be impressed once again by her believable, naturalistic performance (though her voice acting for the puppets is very grating!). I’ll be very interested to see how I feel about this film some time in the future after a second screening.
This new film, which stars Juliette Binoche as a harried, emotionally-wrought mother living in a cluttered Parisian apartment, is a frustrating experience and at times has the feel of an unfinished, experimental film. But there is still plenty to enjoy and admire in it’s lengthy running time.
Hou is an exceptional artist – there is no disputing the quiet, reflective poetry of his vision - and with the exquisite, delicate touch of cinematographer Pin Bing Lee by his side, he’s able to provide a visually pure canvas of overlapping images and subtly gliding camera moves which always give us something interesting to look at.
Binoche plays Suzanne, a voice actress for a puppeteer, and a busy mother looking after a young son Simon (Simon Iteanu). She’s just employed a young Chinese nanny for him, Song (Song Fang), a film student who has seen Lamorisse’s famous short and would like to film something similar as a homage. Suzanne barely sits or stands still, her life a hectic, chaotic mess, her attentions constantly distracted between her job, her son, her daughter who is studying in Brussels and her husband who has left to write a novel in another city. Then there are her tenants on the first floor to deal with who refuse to pay rent anymore, requiring her to bring in a lawyer friend to start legal proceedings against them.
Strewn throughout we are shown glimpses of the elliptical, elusive red balloon of the film’s title as well, following Simon and Song where they go, or hovering near their home. Sometimes quite unknowingly, with a mysterious life of his own, it ebbs and flows with the currents of air, almost as if attuned to the fortunes of those it oversees.
None of the characters’ development in the film takes shape or form in the traditional way that a narrative does in most other films, in fact it could be said that other than Suzanne they’re very thinly constructed. They simply play out their scant roles in an almost dream-like way - often seen lingering in mundane domestic moments - before an arbitrary point of conclusion, as chosen by the director, is reached.
Perhaps some of the film’s frustrations (or failings depending on your viewpoint) can be explained by the director’s apparent modus operandi – only outlines for each scene were devised with Hou encouraging his actors to improvise their dialogue, with mostly first takes being used for the final cut.
Juliette Binoche is wonderful as Suzanne
In the end Flight of the Red Balloon is a bit of a tease and far more likely to frustrate the average filmgoer with so many questions left unresolved and hanging at the end. There is no conventional drawing together of the threads here, no final resolutions to any of the characters’ stories. A lot of its themes remain ambiguous and obliquely explored.
For all it’s questionable points however, there is a certain fascination with it that lingered with me even after the confusing and abrupt ending. And fans of Binoche will be impressed once again by her believable, naturalistic performance (though her voice acting for the puppets is very grating!). I’ll be very interested to see how I feel about this film some time in the future after a second screening.
Song and Simon
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