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Pickpocket

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7.3/10 • 497

1959-12-161h 15m

CrimeDrama

Michel takes up pickpocketing on a lark and is arrested soon after. His mother dies shortly after his release, and despite the objections of his only friend, Jacques, and his mother's neighbor Jeanne, Michel teams up with a couple of petty thieves in order to improve his craft. With a police inspector keeping an eye on him, Michel also tries to get a straight job, but the temptation to steal is hard to resist.

Directors
Robert Bresson
Editors
Raymond Lamy

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Martin LaSalle

    Martin LaSalle

    Michel

  2. Marika Green

    Marika Green

    Jeanne

  3. Jean Pélégri

    Jean Pélégri

    L'inspecteur principal

  4. Dolly Scal

    Dolly Scal

    La mère

  5. Pierre Leymarie

    Pierre Leymarie

    Jacques

  6. Pierre Étaix

    Pierre Étaix

    Accomplice 2

  7. Kassagi

    Kassagi

    1er complice

  8. César Gattegno

    César Gattegno

    Un inspecteur

  9. Sophie Saint-Just

    Sophie Saint-Just

Reviews3

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 4, 2022

7/10

Martin LaSalle is really quite effective here as the small time pickpocket ("Michel"), who just about manages to get by, from day to day, wearing the same suit and living in his one room garret where even the door doesn't lock. He spends his time with friend "Jacques" (Pierre Leymarie) with both taking a bit of shine to "Jeanne" (Marika Green) who is a neighbour to his rapidly declining mother (Dolly Scal). To be honest, not a great deal actually goes on in this observational slice of his life offered to us by Robert Bresson. We learn a little of the deft arts of his trade and of the techniques used by the police - not least the wily "Inspecteur" (Jean Pélégri) with whom he has a bit of a cat and mouse dance throughout this 75 minute drama - to catch his like! For the most part it is enjoyable but somewhat simple; the photography provides us with an intimacy that helps immerse us into the scenarios more personally. We are like a fly on the wall getting a sense of what drives this rather sad, unsatisfied, figure content to take perpetual risks just to get a crust; almost inviting discovery as his life seems devoid of much purpose. It's not even as if there seems to be much of an adrenalin rush as he carries out his petty larceny and/or avoids capture! The dialogue and music accompaniment are sparing, we are left to follow this rather episodically constructed piece of cinema using that detailed imagery and our own imagination - and that works really quite well. A fine example of less is more, this - and well worth a watch.

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Status
Released
Original Language
French
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
prisonfranceunsociabilitypickpocketmodern societymaterialismblack and white