Watching the movie, I thought of replacing the balloon with a charming, loving, playful, loyal and mute (at least in terms of human vocabulary) subject, say a Dog, and the whole movie gives a much more symbolic meaning that the Balloon did.
Though I used certain adjectives, and came up with Dog, it could even be another human, say mother of a child, with a favorite, and hence all other siblings intensely jealous of the child, and hence brutal towards both. A quite plausible real life scenario, and in that case, it is not a fantasy movie, but allegoric, and of course the subject doesn't really make it children's movie, though they might enjoy it.
While watching the movie, the way the balloons rebelled and freed themselves of human bondage, I also felt a bit of "Dr Dolittle" effect in the movie, the oppressed (of any genus and family), rebelling and freeing themselves, once the tipping point is crossed (Martin Luther King? About 12 years in advance?).
The end of course could be interpreted in several ways, the 'Balloons' carried the boy to where? Site-seeing as some reviews say? Or to the "Balloon-land" where the Red balloon's soul has gone? I would vote for the second one.
Though I used certain adjectives, and came up with Dog, it could even be another human, say mother of a child, with a favorite, and hence all other siblings intensely jealous of the child, and hence brutal towards both. A quite plausible real life scenario, and in that case, it is not a fantasy movie, but allegoric, and of course the subject doesn't really make it children's movie, though they might enjoy it.
While watching the movie, the way the balloons rebelled and freed themselves of human bondage, I also felt a bit of "Dr Dolittle" effect in the movie, the oppressed (of any genus and family), rebelling and freeing themselves, once the tipping point is crossed (Martin Luther King? About 12 years in advance?).
The end of course could be interpreted in several ways, the 'Balloons' carried the boy to where? Site-seeing as some reviews say? Or to the "Balloon-land" where the Red balloon's soul has gone? I would vote for the second one.