Pickpocket

2710. PICKPOCKET (1959-France). Directed by ROBERT BRESSON. Robert Bresson is one of the geniuses of the French cinema. His films are all highly stylized and deeply personal, and this is one of his all-time best, in it, he tells the story of Michel, a small-time thief who thinks he is “mastering the world” as he eyes his prey at a racetrack. However, Michel is caught and soon finds himself being interrogated by the police. It is his good fortune that the authorities lack sufficient evidence to hold him in custody, and he is set free to continue on his path toward a life of crime. The fascinating thing about Michel is that he is no hardened criminal. He does not purloin out of malice or lust for riches. Rather, he simply feels compelled to steal and to experience the thrill of successfully picking another person’s pocket. What Bresson sets out to do is “explain in pictures and sounds the nightmare of a young man forced by his weakness into an adventure in theft for which he was not made.” This adventure also leads Michel to Jeanne, a pretty but lonely young woman who is his mother’s neighbor. Clearly, Jeanne develops a deep passion for Michel. Will he ever he able to reciprocate? Will she come to be his salvation? As the scenario unfolds, Michel also comes under the wing of a master pickpocket and is observed by a police inspector. The result is a keenly perceptive and knowing portrait of a most intriguing and unusual character,. In French with English subtitles. 71 minutes. Drama