Review of Pickpocket (1959) by Luc L — 21 Mar 2011
Seeing "Pickpocket" for the first time, it was as though I had never seen a movie before in my life. It seemed to be either a new kind of cinema, or the distillation of the art of movie-making to its purest essence.
It's the story of an amoral thief who sees his thievery as his reason for being. He plays with his "art," challenges it with needless risk, refines it and realizes in the end that it is the crooked road that has led him to the revelation of Grace.
In that revelation, it shares something with the fiction of American author Flannery O'Connor. In black and white, the version I saw (Criterion DVD) seemed to have a clarity and depth giving the viewer the feeling that he has uncommon perception.
.. something like "God vision" as he watches the main character move inexorably down the road to a startling self-awareness. It's a heightened realism and that may be what gives "Pickpocket" a sense of timelessness.
It bears unexpected treasures, too, with each new viewing.
This review of Pickpocket (1959) was written by Luc L on 21 Mar 2011.
Pickpocket has generally received very positive reviews.
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