LET THE BALLOON GO

Australia, 1976, 92 minutes, Colour.
Robert Bettles, Janet Kingsbury, John Ewart, Ben Gabriel, Ray Barrett, Bruce Spence.
Directed by Oliver Howes.

Let The Balloon Go is one of several films made for children's audiences during the 1970s. Greg Rowe appeared successfully in Storm Boy and Blue Fin. These tended to obscure the films starring Robert Bettles. Besides this film he appeared in The Fourth Wish and the Disney films Ride A Wild Pony and Born To Run. This film is based on a story by Ivan Southall- and tells of a lad in the country and his hopes and ambitions. The portrait of country life and of the family is very strong indeed and audiences could identify with the hero. Commentators noted that the story had an Alan Marshall style about it. The boy is a crippled hero whose aim is to climb a tree. The film has the added advantage of a George Dreyfus score. An attractive children's film, overlooked on its release.

1. The success and quality of this family film? The nature of its appeal? To children, to boys?

2. How well done was the re-creation of an Australian town in 1917? The look of the place, the atmosphere of what went on, the people? The style of the people and the way of life? Manners? The contrast with the modern age? The nostalgia emphasis, historical interest?

3. The use of colour, music, the portrayal of the countryside and the town, the special effects and the stunts?

4. The significance of the title, the Major's explanation of it, the visual presentation of the balloon and its final escape? How good a symbol of John was the balloon?

5. The structure of the film and its framework of the Fire Brigade going on a mission? What happened to John in the meantime?

6. The presentation of the town and its people, the Sumner family within this context? The initial presentation of the Fire Brigade personnel, the war exercise, the children in the fire engine, the flour bombs, the clash with the neighbouring town, school life, the kids and the observation of the military, the schoolteacher being fed up with them, the church and the minister, the lady who gossipped, the doctor and his service, the policeman and his supervision, the atmosphere of conscription and the military and the memory of the trenches during the First World War?

7. How engaging a character was John? Audience identification with him? A credible twelve-year-old boy, crippled, ordinary? The significance of his dream where he was haunted, as a military hero in the Cavalry? John at twelve, relationship with each parent, the fussing of his mother, his awareness of his being handicapped and trying to overcome it, the importance of the shakes at the church, the prospect of the operation and his reaction to this? His wanting to do things self-reliantly?

8. What was the main effect of his handicap on John? His surliness, his desire to run away? The tolerance of his father and his support, especially when he ran away, at the end? His mother's concern, a mixture of love and frustration? Her continually sending him to bed. Dressing him up and telling him he was not like others? Making a martyr of herself in looking after him?

9. John and his comparison with the other children? Throwing stones on the major's house, the fights, the apology of Cecil? His being by himself and yet wanting to be like them? His throwing stones on the Major's roof?

10. How important was the character of the Major? His past reputation and memories, his drinking? His comment to Mrs. Sumner about letting John go? The children being rude to him? The encounter with John, showing him the uniform, his advice about the balloon, encouraging John when he was climbing the tree?

11. The importance of John wanting to be left alone, the significance of his promises, the temptation to climb the tree and the way the tree was presented visually luring him? The long sequence of his climbing the tree? His endurance and courage? The significance and symbolism? His wanting people to see him, it becoming a sideshow and his saying that it was spoilt? The enormous effect of his being up the tree? The plans to get him down? The fact that he could come down by himself and rescue the policeman?

12. What was the effect on him of climbing the tree? The effect on all the people in the town watching him, trying to rescue him, puzzling?

13. The atmosphere of the fete and its humour and small-town way of life, the balloon and the rides, the fact that the balloon went off, the symbolism?

14. The finale with the Fire Brigade again and the children going?

15. The values underlying this family film, the story that it portrayed, a convincing message?