Pickpocket

Summary

Michel, an young man without reference mark, places himself in a small room. His/her mother, who is sick, does not receive any more a visit of her son since an equivocal incident after which a certain amount of money disappeared. She is looked after by Jeanne, an young girl in her turn given up by her mother and who lives with an alcoholic father and a little sister. Gradually, Michel becomes gradually pick-pocket, while defying the police force. But it will not be left easily the pit of anguish and loneliness which surrounds it.

Data sheet

Realization, Scenario and dialogs: Robert Bresson
Music: Lulli (Extracted the Atys Opera)
: Leonce-Henri Burel, assisted Henri Raichi
Decorations: Coal Pierre, assisted of P.Guffroy
Assembly: Raymond Lamy, assisted G. Falaschi
Sound: Antoine Archimbaud
Assitants: Claude Clément, Michel Clement, Jacques Ballanche
Governed: Michel Choquet
Administration: Leon Sanz
Script girl: O. Lemarchand
Dresser: L. Scatena
Adviser technical for the gestures of the robbers: Kassagi
Production: Agnes Delahaie
Coming out date: 1959
Lasted: 86 '

Distribution

Martin the Room: Michel
Marika Green: Jeanne
Jean Pelegri: The Principal Inspector
Dolly Scal: the Mother
Pierre Leymarie: Jacques
Kassagi: 1st accomplice
Pierre Etaix: 2nd accomplice
César Gattegno: An Inspector

Analogies

can't

Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959) 0.10.00 - “ - one admit that men able, intelligent, and with stronger reason gifted of talent or even of genius - thus essential to the company - instead of vegetating all their life are in certain free cases to disobey the laws?

- That appears difficult to me, and dangerous.

- For the company it would be very benefit.

- And which will distinguish from the others these higher men?

- Themselves, their consciences. ”

The Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948) - This quotation is relatively close to the excuse which the two students take to kill their school-fellow in The Rope of Alfred Hitchcock. It will be however noted that the characters of The Rope are not particularly attaching, on the one hand, and that the film is built in the police style. Contrary, Pickpocket of Bresson appreciably brings us closer to the main character, step specified by the author: “ This film is not police style. The author endeavoured to express by images and sounds the cauchemard of an young man pushed by the weakness in an adventure of pick-pocketing for which it was not made. ”

Quotations

0.02.20 “I know that usually those which made these things conceal, or that those which speak did not make them. And yet I have do them. ”

0.29.00 “- You do not believe in nothing? - I believed in a God, Jeanne, during three minutes. ”

1.14.30 “Something illuminated its figure. O Jeanne, to go to you, which funny of way it was necessary me to take. ”

See too

Pickpocket on Internet Movie Database

Random links: