Good movie but grossly overrated

Captivating movie !

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Robert Bresson's Pickpocket was to me at its best when showing a French young man, with little prospects, learning the art of swindling wallets, moneys, and watches from unsuspecting citizens walking the streets of Paris. When he joins an outfit, the pickpocketing is astonishing to see unfold, particularly in how the fingers and hands move from one victim's coat (and pants) pockets and purses to another. It really is an artform that Bresson's camera seamlessly captures…this is a marvel of filmmaking. The camera will spot a bag or money sticking out of a wallet, alternate to the eyes of Martin LaSalle noticing them, and allows us to see how it all transpires, typically with success…but not always. Interestingly, LaSalle's first real test—removing money from a purse during a horserace—was almost his undoing, while the last pickpocket (the difficult, unrealistic task of trying to swipe a fat wad (literally paraded in his face by the "winner" which should have been a suspicious sign; the lure was just too great) from the inner coat pocket of someone standing *behind* him proves to be a major mistake. The train sequence, as three pickpockets work over a number of travelers boarding, is a knockout.Ultimately, the film is about desperation and the driving urge to take from others to support yourself. Sometimes, the lure to pickpocket is addictive. LaSalle's performance is subtle and never explosive or overdone. It is all carefully nuanced how he reacts to threats against his livelihood, the obvious signs that his mother is about dead, the constant presence of the police waiting for him to slip, and his avoidance of taking responsibility for a life of crime. Marika Green is the poverty-stricken neighbor who tends to LaSalle's mom out of care and is often pleading with him to see her. LaSalle and Green embracing with a prison gate between them at the end is quite a powerful image due to what it takes to get them to this point. Prior to this, the two avoided this inevitability. Jacques (Pierre Leymarie) is the friend of LaSalle's Michel and moral compass that tries to steer him away from the pickpocket life and out of his crumbling, lowly domicile…to no avail. Returning from a European pickpocket adventure, Michel is as broke and penniless as before he left Paris so that the police's presence in his life would diminish. Learning of a sexual coupling between his friends, Jacques is gone while Green's Jeanne watches over the child that came from their loveless union. This urges him to continue his pickpocket ways.This is as good an example I could think of explaining the seduction into a life of crime, the compulsion that comes when someone becomes good at stealing to survive, and how the lure of not stopping can only end up with the thief locked in a prison cell. Bresson doesn't try to tug on your heartstrings, either…he shows you this man's story and doesn't judge him harshly. He exists in a real world that isn't always kind or prosperous. There are winners and losers in this life: those who have it better than others, and Michel fends for himself in a way that is unlawful…but to him is the only answer.

at the beginning of Pickpocket, before the opening credits, Bresson needed to stress that this is not crime thriller. he explained that he seeks, through image and sound, to express the nightmare of a young man led by weakness to adventure in stealing, for which he was not destined to.. this is a story of sin and redemptionbeing interested in Bresson's cinema and after watching some of his films, i've come to know just how much he dislikes expressive acting. Bresson insists to show no emotion or modulation from his actors; displaying almost exclusively blank stares and largely stagnant apparels and levelled speaking volume - his ascetic nature. but i think that in the process, he constantly invites the viewer into the film because in those faces, we see and observe what we are bringing to them; and the involvement goes quite deep once the viewer realizes his role.we do not know the reasons which led the protagonist (Michel) to steal and we never see him use the fruit of his thefts. Bresson is showing the effects, not the causes, which leaves us out of the loop, but it's intentional to make us feel before understanding. we decide that it's a compulsion for Michel to steal, as he is ecstatic when he surrenders to it, he is dominating.throughout the film, the exercise of pickpocketing becomes more compulsive, and the directorial treatment grows more meticulous, resulting in a fascinating sequence showing the gang of pickpockets operating successively in a railway station and on a train. during the precise quick series of stealing, the camera perfectly mirrors them by quickly changing angles, distances and directions; complemented by skillful editing.i'm presently having a major Radiohead kick, and i couldn't help but to somehow make a connection here. the film, like the band often do, presents a splendid portrait of alienation and revolt. the camera seems to patiently follow Michel or wait for his arrival; he is estranged from his surroundings. the camera generally takes a face to face position which creates a sense of separation between him and those around. there's also a feeling of leaving adolescence and entering adulthood; the act of theft can be seen as an act of revolt, a rejection of society. yet we feel a strong to desire to exist and find a place in this world.Michel is a proud rebellious man. in a conversation with the inspector, he outlined his theory of superior beings, who would be above the law (very reminding of Brandon from Hitchcock's Rope). but later in the film, Michel deliberately tries to pickpocket a police decoy even if he is suspicious of him. and when he's caught, he shows no reaction; almost as if he's asking for it. maybe that's his way of redemption (to trick himself into letting his guard down to finally submit to the common man laws); or maybe he just couldn't help but give in to his compulsion.. either way, the film shows no motives"however this adventure and the strange path it takes, brings together two souls that may otherwise never have met". there's graceful sense of predestination here; in the film's powerful conclusion, Michel finds his redemption. the revelation of his love to Jeanne enlightens and finally saves him. Pickpocket is a compassionate exploration of human frailty and a masterpiece of narrative economy.

Bresson has taken elements from Dostoyevski's "Crime and Punishment" and Camus' "The Stranger," yet comes up with a film so dull and pointless that it's a chore to sit through it despite the short running time. The pickpocket scenes are so poorly executed that it's hard to believe that the victims would be so oblivious. The performances by actors making their film debuts range from dull to wooden. LaSalle is meant to be brooding as the protagonist, but he wears the same dour-faced expression throughout the film, making him about as interesting as a wet noodle. Green is quite lovely; LaSalle's lack of interest in her (until the contrived ending) is implausible.

Pickpocket is a film that apparently has serious flaws- from the very beginning it displays little to no emotion as the actors on screen just say their lines and the camera just follows them from a distance, with no close-ups or any other tricks.But what is unique about this film is that this very criticism is actually a deliberate attempt to cause uneasiness in the viewer. And it succeeds- the anxiety, as felt by the pickpocket in his everyday living, is also transmitted to us. So, to correct my previous statement: this movie does not lack emotions- it has emotions: anxiety, uncertainty, but these are delivered in an unconventional manner.From a personal standpoint, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It is hard to appreciate this dimension of the film at first. But after seeing some extras from the excellent Criterion package, I was able to understand better. How Bresson actually committed to cause these emotions in the viewer, how he re-shot several times various scenes until the actors just repeated their lines, until no trait of emotions were left. Michel's narration voice-over is flat, plain. These were non-professional actors set to work in a non-standard way, Bresson's way. And the result is this: a film somewhat off-putting, but still a great work of art.