Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Circus Angel Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 12, 2024

Albert Lamorisse's "Circus Angel" (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The only bonus feature on the release is Chloe Scialom's documentary "My Father Was a Red Balloon". In French or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

At work

I wonder if Albert Lamorisse’s final film, Circus Angel (1965), might have been the inspiration for Luc Besson’s blockbuster Angel-A (2005). Even though four decades separate the two, they are very similar contemporary fairy tales about angels exploring the world we live in through a series of most unusual encounters. Both share an almost identical sense of humor. I would say that they are equally beautiful films, too.

If I mention Angel-A then I must bring up Tom McLoughlin’s Date with an Angel (1987), correct? These films have more in common than they do with Circus Angel, so when one is discussed, the other should not be forgotten. Then again, while it is very likely that Emmanuelle Beart had seen or at least heard of Circus Angel, speculating that McLoughlin could have been inspired by it seems like quite a stretch. Even during the glory days of VHS, Circus Angel was probably impossible to track down and see in America. I do not recall having any encounters with it.

So, let’s go back to Circus Angel and Angel-A. While some obvious similarities between them make it easy to speculate that they are legit relatives, there is an unmissable detail in the stories they tell that also makes it easy to speculate that they are very different films. The detail is this: their main protagonists, the angels, come from different places and have different identities. In the former, a small-time burglar breaks into a lavish home but screws up and is forced to run away. After he hides among the performers in a traveling circus, someone places two very large wings on his back, and he learns how to fly. In other words, the former burglar is a fake angel. In the latter, the angel is real. It falls from the sky and right into the life of another shady character who is about to jump off a bridge in Paris. These angels see, feel, and communicate differently, though ultimately their discoveries about the importance of true love and happiness in people’s lives are practically identical.

Despite being shot in different ratios, the visual styles of Circus Angel and Angel-A are very similar. Both are shot in black-and-white and produce very fluid visuals that infuse them with a most attractive airy quality. (This airy quality is what makes it easy to describe them as contemporary fairy tales). All of Lamorisse’s films that I have seen have some of this quality, but not all of Besson’s films do. Is this more proof that Circus Angel might have been the inspiration for Angel-A? Well, what do you think?

Lamourisse directed only six feature films and a couple of shorts, and every single one of the feature films has been influential in some way. And yet, except for The Red Balloon, they have been forgotten and until recently were very difficult to see. It is strange, to say the least, because they are being remade and their influence, whether intentional or not, on other films, like Angel-A, is virtually impossible to dismiss.

*Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao-Hsien directed Flight of the Red Balloon (2007), a remake of The Red Balloon. Even though it is based on a novel that was published in 1941, Carroll Ballard’s The Black Stallion (1979) has a lot in common with White Mane. Bim, The Little Donkey looks like a legit relative of Au hasard Balthazar (1966) and EO (2022), too.

Circus Angel Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Circus Angel arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a recent 2K master. I thought that the overall quality of the visuals was rather good, but I must immediately mention that it could and should have been outstanding. Why? This master reveals traces of filtering corrections that cause minor yet annoying anomalies. Indeed, in several sequences darker areas have a compromised dynamic range, and while not distracting, this is an anomaly that was incredibly easy to avoid. You can see an example here. Select close-ups can appear somewhat flat as well. The rest is either very good or excellent. Image stability, for instance, is outstanding. The grayscale is good, but the anomaly I mentioned above does affect balance in some areas with darker nuances. The surface of the visuals is very clean. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Circus Angel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0 and English Dolby Digital 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the original French audio track, which is very healthy. However, as it is usually the case with Albert Lamorisse's films, there aren't any meaningful dynamic contrasts. The sound design is very basic and enthusiastically welcomes many different organic sounds and noises. The English translation is excellent.

Circus Angel Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• My Father Was a Red Balloon - in this documentary, Pascal Lamorisse remembers his father, Albert Lamorisse, and explains how he and his work inspired him to become involved with film and photography. The documentary was directed by Chloe Scialom in 2008. In French, with English subtitled. (49 min).

• Booklet - a 26-page illustrated booklet featuring critic David Cairns' essay "Head in the Clouds", film descriptions, and technical credits.

Circus Angel Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the past, opportunities to see Albert Lamorisse's Circus Angel were extremely rare. I recall trying to track it down and giving up because only a few bootleggers that I did not want to reward had it. This was a long time ago, too, so I had forgotten about it. It is a gem that solidifies my theory that Lamorisse's films have been very influential without many people realizing it. You can find it in Criterion's The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse, a two-disc set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.