Les modèles de 'Pickpocket' (2005) (V)

Director:

Babette Mangolte

Release Date:

16 March 2005 (France)

Genre:

Documentary

Cast

Marika Green	...	Herself
Martin LaSalle	...	Himself
Pierre Leymarie	...	Himself

Runtime:

52 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Trivia:

This documentary is featured on the Criterion Collection DVD for Pickpocket (1959).

Movie Connections:

References Pickpocket (1959)

Les Modeles De "Pickpocket" (TV) (2003) ***

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This lengthy documentary is a reasonably insightful look at the three protagonists of Robert Bresson's PICKPOCKET (1959) - Martin Lassalle, Marika Green and Pierre Leymarie - detailing not only how their appearance in the film has affected their careers and their life in general, but also Bresson's unique working method. While the latter seems to have been as rigid and as elusive as the master's own films, all three are proud to have been associated with what was even then considered an unmistakable work of art.

Lassalle seems to be quite a colorful character with his long, white hair and beard which gives him the look of a wise old man or even an aging Robinson Crusoe; he currently resides in Mexico where he is seen waxing lyrically about his plants and speaking to his children in different languages! As it happens, he had quite a long-standing career as a film actor and I was surprised to discover that he had appeared in such Euro-Cult fare as THE MANSION OF MADNESS (1971) and ALUCARDA (1975)!

Green, who was around 60 when this documentary was shot, is still a very beautiful woman and, like Lassalle, did continue in films after her appearance as the angelic Jeanne in PICKPOCKET...although, ironically, only the erotic smash-hit EMMANUELLE (1974) is truly well-known among the other films she has been in. I was quite delighted when, during her interview, she enthusiastically leafed through an old film magazine in which PICKPOCKET and Bresson are discussed, a copy of which is sitting right next to me as I'm writing this!!

Unlike his fellow co-stars, Leymarie never worked in films again and is therefore reasonably muted if still quite proud about his meeting with Bresson. He does have one funny anecdote which, in a way, could sum up Bresson's cinema in the eyes of the uninitiated: when his father learned that he would be appearing in a movie, he proudly announced this to everyone who would listen but, after watching the film, he scolded the young Leymarie for his "terrible" acting!!