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Information

Year
1959
Runtime
76 min.
Director
Robert Bresson
Genres
Crime, Drama
Rating *
7.7
Votes *
13,260
Checks
5,698
Favs
524
Dislikes
50
Favs/checks
9.2% (1:11)
Favs/dislikes
10:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. voltesque's avatar

    voltesque

    A cinematic jewel. The execution of the pickpocket scenes were entrancing. 10 years 6 months ago
  2. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Robert Bresson's Pickpocket is undoubtedly an influential film, an early example of the criminal without a motive, doing what he does because he can, and because he's convinced himself there's virtue in it, something embraced be later crime drama. Indeed, Martin LaSalle's Michel is on a quest to FIND a motive for his crimes, paying his mother's bills or her caretaker's (played by France's answer to Natalie Portman, Marika Green), but it's never truly convincing. Only in the ironic finish is he "freed" by an actual human connection. But here's the problem. LaSalle is a sleight of hand expert - and consequently, the most interesting part of the film is the pickpocketing choreography that will have you checking your pockets in public places hereafter - but not a professional actor, and while that does support the character's disconnectedness, he walks through the film stone-faced and it all seems very stagey. People moving to marks and reading dialog at a director's command, but as lifeless puppets. But it seems to be the style, because no one much emotes, perhaps as a correction so LaSalle's acting doesn't seem too out of place. 3 years 8 months ago
  3. AliciaHub's avatar

    AliciaHub

    A lead that can't act, a movie that begins by a disclaimer that does not correspond to what is shown (how is he a victim?), a very predictable story, and an over pronunciation of every word that makes it so painful to watch. Why the hell is it ranked so high? 5 years 1 month ago
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In 20 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #22 in Roger Ebert's Great Movies
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    Roger Ebert's Great Movi…

    22
  2. This movie ranks #26 in The Times's 100 Best French Films
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    The Times's 100 Best Fre…

    26
  3. This movie ranks #29 in Cahiers du Cinéma's 100 Films for an Ideal Cinematheque
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    Cahiers du Cinéma's 100 …

    29
  4. This movie ranks #55 in Time Out's The 100 Best French Films
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    Time Out's The 100 Best …

    55
  5. This movie ranks #55 in Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists
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    Cahiers du Cinéma's Annu…

    55
  6. This movie ranks #73 in iCheckMovies's 1950s Top 100
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    iCheckMovies's 1950s Top…

    73
  7. This movie ranks #89 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    89
  8. This movie ranks #122 in Anthology Film Archives's Essential Cinema
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    122
  9. This movie ranks #133 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
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    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    133
  10. This movie ranks #147 in Harvard's Suggested Film Viewing: Narrative Films
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    Harvard's Suggested Film…

    147
  11. This movie ranks #228 in Mark Cousins's The Story of Film: An Odyssey
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    Mark Cousins's The Story…

    228
  12. This movie ranks #277 in BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project
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    BFI's 360 Classic Featur…

    277
  13. This movie ranks #342 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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    1001 Movies You Must See…

    342
  14. This movie ranks #355 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    355
  15. This movie ranks #423 in Amos Vogel's Film as a Subversive Art
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    Amos Vogel's Film as a S…

    423
  16. This movie ranks #455 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
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    Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…

    455
  17. This movie ranks #572 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
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    David Thomson's Have You…

    572
  18. This movie ranks #693 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
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    The Guardian's 1000 Film…

    693
  19. This movie ranks #717 in Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
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    Time Out's 1000 Films to…

    717
  20. This movie ranks #993 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
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    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    993
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