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Pickpocket

Pickpocket

Crime · Drama · 1959

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.

Movie details

Pickpocket

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

1959 Crime · Drama 1h 15m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Pickpocket?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Bresson

Written by

Robert Bresson

Martin LaSalle

Martin LaSalle

Michel

Marika Green

Marika Green

Jeanne

J

Jean Pélégri

Lead Inspector

D

Dolly Scal

The Mother

P

Pierre Leymarie

Jacques

Kassagi

Kassagi

1st Accomplice

Pierre Étaix

Pierre Étaix

2nd Accomplice

Court is in session

Put Pickpocket on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.