Review of Pickpocket (1959) by Wilson K — 15 Feb 2011

Robert Bresson's Pickpocket seems at first glance to be a rather simple narrative, but one must only slightly lift up one of this film's many layers to prove that is a ridiculous assumption. In 75 minutes Bresson is able to accomplish more than a lesser filmmaker probably could have in twice the time. Every frame of this movie seems to count and there are moments of subtle brilliance around every corner. The movie never seems to view anything that is going on in it with a judging or even understanding eye. It instead allows the world we are watching to simply exist and only through the relative lifelessness of the main character do we get any sense of the societal forces at play. Some of the most mesmerizing scenes in the film are the extensively choreographed and meticulously shot scenes where Michel and his various cohorts rob all manner of unsuspecting upper class French Citizens. The flowing camera work and overall style of the film is right inline with the French New Wave films that were coming out right along side of it. It seemed to me like a perfect representation of the disenfranchisement most certainly felt by many French people at the time.

Marika Green proved a revelation to me in this film stalking across the screen doe eyed and possessing a range of expression befitting a porcelain doll. She proved the perfect companion for a man as morally bankrupt as Michel. I remain slightly confused about how to classify this film in relation to the French New Wave considering it was a Government funded film. Regardless it is most assuredly a film that can be viewed through the prism of the Auteur Theory concept. Every frame seems to be Robert Bresson showing us just how slow and not epic a man's descent towards total destruction can be.