Pickpocket

"To reach you at last, what a strange path I had to take."

1959 1h 15m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 593

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Michel takes up pickpocketing on a lark and is arrested soon after. His mother dies shortly after his release, and despite the objections of his only friend, Jacques, and his mother's neighbor Jeanne, Michel teams up with a couple of petty thieves in order to improve his craft. With a police inspector keeping an eye on him, Michel also tries to get a straight job, but the temptation to steal is hard to resist.

“To reach you at last, what a strange path I had to take.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Martin LaSalle
Michel
Marika Green
Jeanne
Jean Pélégri
Lead Inspector
Dolly Scal
The Mother
Pierre Leymarie
Jacques
Kassagi
1st Accomplice
Pierre Étaix
2nd Accomplice
César Gattegno
Inspector

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Bresson
Writers: Robert Bresson
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 75-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Raymond Lamy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Martin LaSalle and Marika Green and Jean Pélégri carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "To reach you at last, what a strange path I had to take.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Bresson directs. Léonce-Henri Burel behind the camera. Raymond Lamy cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 75-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Raymond Lamy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Martin LaSalle and Marika Green and Jean Pélégri carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "To reach you at last, what a strange path I had to take.".
8IMDB entry: tt0053168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Léonce-Henri Burel
Editing: Raymond Lamy
Production design: Pierre Charbonnier
Sound: Antoine Archimbaud
Runtime: 75 min · 1h 15m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Pickpocket (1959)

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Robert Bresson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-04
★ 7/10
Martin LaSalle is really quite effective here as the small time pickpocket ("Michel"), who just about manages to get by, from day to day, wearing the same suit and living in his one room garret where even the door doesn't lock. He spends his time with friend "Jacques" (Pierre Leymarie) with both taking a bit of shine to "Jeanne" (Marika Green) who is a neighbour to his rapidly declining mother (Dolly Scal). To be honest, not a great deal actually goes on in this observational slice of his life offered to us by Robert Bresson. We learn a little of the deft arts of his trade and of the techniques used by the police - not least the wily "Inspecteur" (Jean Pélégri) with whom he has a bit of a cat and mouse dance throughout this 75 minute drama - to catch his like! For the most part it is enjoyable but somewhat simple; the photography provides us with an intimacy that helps immerse us into the scenarios more personally. We are like a fly on the wall getting a sense of what drives this rather sad, unsatisfied, figure content to take perpetual risks just to get a crust; almost inviting discovery as his life seems devoid of much purpose. It's not even as if there seems to be much of an adrenalin rush as he carries out his petty larceny and/or avoids capture! The dialogue and music accompaniment are sparing, we are left to follow this rather episodically constructed piece of cinema using that detailed imagery and our own imagination - and that works really quite well. A fine example of less is more, this - and well worth a watch.
James2024-03-24
★ 7/10
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