Pickpocket DVD

Released in 1959 at the dawn of the French New Wave, Robert Bresson’s fifth feature, Pickpocket, established a link between the masterworks of the past and the cinema of the future. Conceived and shot in a matter of weeks, the film’s use of real Parisian locations (streets, cafés, depots) and subversion of traditional dramatic techniques helped set the tone for a new era of film experimentation.

Loosely based on Dostoevky’s Crime and Punishment, Bresson’s compressed narrative offers an incisive portrait of a troubled urban recluse, Michel, whose compulsion to steal propels him on an unexpected personal journey. As in Diary of a Country Priest (1951) and A Man Escaped (1957), Bresson records his protagonist’s narration, thus revealing Michel’s ambiguous feelings in a world of relentless physical precision, timing and ritual. A sequence depicting thefts at the Gare de Lyon is a veritable ballet of secret movements and gestures, its aesthetic pleasure emphasizing the intrinsically seductive appeal of Michel’s thievery as well as the practice and dexterity required.

Throughout the film however, a police inspector seems as interested in counselling Michel as he is in arresting him. Their sporadic conversations are spiked with suggestions - Michel claims certain individuals should be above the law; the inspector counters that an arrest could be made at any time, but teasingly hesitates.

Pickpocket is a shining example of Bresson’s fully mature, essentialist style. Nonprofessional actors, eye-level compositions, and an emphasis on sound combine with a perplexing approach to narrative construction (unexplained reversals and ellipses) that creates a carefully modulated viewing experience. Rigorous and subdued yet deeply felt, the film is a surprisingly romantic vision that builds to a profound crescendo, transforming Michel’s search for identity into a passionate proclamation of love.

on 1st April 2005
Author of 32 reviews