Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959): France

Reviewed by Lori Panossian Viewed at AFI FEST 2013, LA.

You see a old, short lady with the coolest hair due of all time walk up on stage to introduce one of the films that inspired her to become a director. Im of course talking about the great Agnes Varda. With her rusty voice and french accent, she presented this movie as one of the best ever made and said that “if you haven’t yet seen it, you should be glad to see it now”. I would say that I definitely agree with her, I’m really glad that I’ve decided to see this film.

When I think about classical french movies from the 50s and 60s I think of overdramatic scenes with a lot of screaming and crying. Pickpocket is unique in that way since it almost doesn’t have anything like that.
The film begins with some precious warnings from the director Robert Bresson – “This film is not a horror”. I think that line sets the bar for the whole movie. Even though the real genres are drama and crime, humor is a big part of this old, black&white classic from 1959.
The actor Martin LaSelle plays the part of Martin who realizes that pickpocketing is a great way of getting money fast. You can see the enjoyment of the rush he gets when he’s committing different crimes, but yet you also get to see the down parts of it, the heartbeat rising and the constant fear of getting caught. The film switches between showing scenes about pickpocketing and his normal everyday life, troubles at home and troubles with love.
The film that is shot with a 35mm, tripod held, camera is more about the actual filming and the photography then the story itself. The long scenes with a few, simple lines raises interest and makes you think about what you’re actually seeing. It’s obvious but still not, because you can almost guess what’s going to happen, but there is always something that surprises you.
I think that the humor and weirdness of the movie is what makes it great.

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Published:
11.18.13 / 8pm
Category:
AFI Filmfest 2013, Films