4 out of 5

Director: Robert Bresson

Its odd what makes for classics. Pickpocket, a curious little 75-minute film, is instantly notable in construction, and manages to sketch out a short and interesting character study of a pickpocket. Within the first few minutes of the film, which litters loose dialogue pieces through dreamy-shot scenes that introduce us to learning thief Michel, I hated the film for what I felt was over-bearing Frenchness. He pickpockets, gets caught, cannot be charged, and then we are in a populated bar where an obtuse conversation about the justification of stealing plays out. The writing is both indirect and purposeful (where whats said and not said seems equally important), and every line is delivered in a similar method of flatness, where eye contact is maintained only for the spoken words and no more. But as the film went on and remained dedicated to this style, it enhances what youre watching. A man learning his craft, and trying to explain his impulses at the same time, that dream-like camera gives a poetic sense to the crimes – letting us watch sleights beat-by-beat, culminating in a stunning scene on a train where three pickpockets dance around several marks, the audience seeing all. The subtle sexualization of the act and the odd acting style became more understood after reading about Bressons methods, but the film still succeeds because you dont need to know these things to feel their impact. It is still a bit impenetrable as a movie, and the plot ends up wending its way back to French territory toward the end, but agreeing with the other reviewers: for those needing a good intro to the director, or even to foreign arty stuff, this short piece is an excellent place to start.