Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959): France

Reviewed by Sofie Larsson. Viewed at AFI Film Fest, Hollywood 2013.

Robert Bresson’s ”Pickpocket” is about the thief Michel who lives in France. It 1959 century and he lives in a small room in an old building. He is a skillful thief obsessed and excited to find different ways to steal peoples wallets. I watch this black and white movie at AFI film fest, hollywood and it was a very cool film to watch. The main caracter Michel, played by Martin Lasalle, is very hard to read and it makes me wonder, who he really is?

Pickpocket is an old black and white movie played in a community where the people thinks that stealing from others is a terrible prohibited crime. Michael is a lonely man who usually wears a suit and disappears easily in a crowd. He convinces himself that it’s okay to steal from others, if it’s for survival or for that erotic charge he gets out of stealing, we don’t know. But it makes us curious enough to follow his life. He stands as close as possible to his victims, just waiting for the right moment, to steal their wallets from their coats. He always learns new tricks and meets up with a man once in a while, to watch, learn and became a better thief. His mother is very sick and he seems to have a hard time dealing with relationships and his own feelings.

Pickpocket is a hard film to follow because the actors faces doesn’t show any feeling. Bresson wants his actors to emote as little as possible. By filming over-the-shoulder shots we get to place the characters in the middle of the action. He want the audience to get their own opinion and he does this by only showing a man and his situation which makes the audience wonder, who is this man and what do we think about him? His film is really simply made, no background music, just sounds off footsteps, doors closing etc. This fact makes the movie a bit borring and the fact that the characters barely speeks to each-other doesn’t make the movie more interesting.  That said, Bresson, captures our attention by showing us skillful pickpockets techniques and makes us laugh over how easy it looks.

Personally, I recommend Robert Bressons’ ”Pickpocket” to middle age people who enjoy old black and white movies. It’s a different entertaining crime drama. If you want to see something that you usually don’t, I recommend you to see this movie.