[PICKPOCKET
screens Thursday April 19th at 6:45 pm and Friday April 20th at 9:35
pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review
by Bob Ignizio
Robert
Bresson's PICKPOCKET
bears some surface similarities to the film noir genre – it's focus
on crime, the use of first person narration, and a protagonist headed
towards an inescapable fate. But rather than a traditional femme
fatale, the object of desire here isn't a woman, but rather crime
itself.
Unemployed
writer Michel (Martin LaSalle) ekes out a living by lifting wallets
and watches from unsuspecting victims. He tries to justify his
actions by claiming that a superior man should be allowed to ignore
the law and prey on his inferiors when necessary to get by, but one
senses even he doesn't really believe that. For starters, a life of
crime is hardly the only option available to Michel; his friend
Jaques (Pierre Leymarie) offers to help him find work.
Others
try to help Michel, too. Jeanne (Marika Green) is the pretty girl who
lives next door to Michel's mother, and while she seems chiefly
concerned with getting Michel to visit his ailing parent before she
dies, its obvious her feelings extend beyond that. Even a police
inspector (Jean Pélégri) who strongly suspects Michel seems
reluctant to really go after the thief. But Michel is too much in
love with the thrill of stealing to stop on his own. He does,
however, seem to have a desire to get caught. Maybe it's guilt, or
maybe it's just another thrill to be experienced.
Bresson
is well known for making films that reflect his Catholic values,
often with themes of redemption at their core. That's certainly the
case here. Where modern “faith and values” films tend to hit
audiences over the head with their messages, Bresson is tasteful and
subtle. Rather than a sermon, he offers up a parable, and even those
who don't share his faith can appreciate what the film is trying to
say.
As is
the norm with Bresson's films, the acting is intentionally flat and
unaffected. The film's visual style is fairly straight forward,
although the scene where Michel and a pair of accomplices show off
their skills is very precisely orchestrated. Despite being, at least
on the surface, a “crime” film, there is no real violence or
action. This just isn't that kind of film. Instead, the focus is
almost always on the story and its themes, which are more than
compelling enough on their own. 4 out of 4 stars.
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