"Pickpocket"

I have been infatuated with the development of character, but I had immense trouble relating to the Michel. Bresson did not allow the audience to get inside of Michel’s head. He did not relate to the general public and had a very dull personality. His ways were almost awkward and often gave me a very eerie odd feeling. However, this depiction helped make the movie what it was.

The focus was not on the psychology of one man, it was on his physical movements. It showed Michel’s hands, his footsteps, and his everyday motions, which are rarely captured on film. This interesting technique helped the audience understand pick pocketing as an art. By focusing on Michel’s hands and small motor skills, it showed the work that was put into the art of the pick pocket. The actual pick pocketing scenes showed that practice makes perfect, it allowed the audience to see the thieves by slowing down the shot. The audience sees every step of the process, which allows them to actually route for the thief.

Some things also struck me as ironic in the film. For example, Michel was a thief by profession but did not worry about his own items getting stolen. Michel had no lock on his door and rarely even shut the door as he was leaving. It is funny to think that a common thief is so trusting.
I thought the movie was interestingly shot, but overall I felt it lacked a strong plot. The girl could have had more relevance and Michel could have shown a little more interest in her. I did however enjoy the overall exposure of everyday life, body language and movements.