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Pickpocket (1959) More at IMDbPro »

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Pickpocket (1959) -- Petty thievery in this black and white trailer

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   3,984 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Robert Bresson (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Pickpocket on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
December 1959 (France) more
Genre:
Plot:
Michel is released from jail after serving a sentence for thievery. His mother dies and he resorts to pickpocketing as a means of survival. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 nominations more
User Comments:
Bresson's films are quite unlike anything else in the cinema... more (40 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Incertitude (France) (working title)
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Runtime:
75 min | Argentina:79 min | Finland:77 min (1965)
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Referenced in La chica de la cárcel (2004) more
Soundtrack:
Suite de symphonies d'Amadis (selection) more

FAQ

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12 out of 15 people found the following comment useful.
Bresson's films are quite unlike anything else in the cinema..., 27 January 2009
7/10

In his dismissal determination to keep out elements often thought fundamental to the medium—spectacle, drama, performance— Bresson has followed an incomparable personal vision of the world that stays consistent whatever the nature of his subject matter...

In "Pickpocket," a petty thief understands life's mystery only when his conventional wisdom is violently shaken and embraces humanity through his newfound love… Most notable, however, is not the emphasis upon redemption attained through communication and self-sacrifice, but the high-purity of Bresson's style...

The camera keeps out pictorial beauty to create an abstract timeless world through the detached, detailed observation of hands, faces, and objects; natural sounds rather than music to satisfy the need… In thus rejecting conventional realism and characterization, Bresson manifested a fascination not with human psychology but with the capacity of the soul to survive in a world of pain, disbelieve, and restriction...

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more (40 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Pickpocket (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
'Pickpocket' ruined Martin LaSalle's career? fellini812
'Eroticism' in DVD commentary seems far stretched? fellini812
One sentence to sum up this film Theeboon
Stiff acting alllexis
Paul Schrader on Pickpocket. liron_zu
Can someone who loves this film defend it? richardinkerry
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