[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00JPUUPI8″]A meticulous craftsman, Robert Bresson only made thirteen feature length films over a forty year career. Released in 1959, the same year as Godard’s Breathless, and filmed on the same Parisian streets, Pickpocket, a tale of redemption through love, is uncharacteristically hopeful for the usually cynical Bresson.

Loosely inspired by Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Pickpocket concerns Michel (Martin LaSalle), an unemployed writer who lives in a small, dusty, garret flat surrounded by books. His life is one of isolation. He seems to care little for family or friends, and his face is a blank slate, showing nothing of his own emotional state. Jeanne (Marika Green), the teenage girl who takes care of his ailing mother, and Jacques (Pierre Leymarie), the closet thing Michel has to a real friend, offer an opportunity for some type of emotional connectional, but Michel greets this possibility with anxiety. Though the three do hang out on occasion, Michel, to put it mildly, feels awkward in public.

In order to make ends meet, Michel has resigned himself to life as a pickpocket. An initial attempt is unsuccessful, and he is quickly caught. Despite Jacques attempts to set him straight, Michel’sfascination with pick pocketing grows. Michel falls in with two experienced thieves (Pierre Etaix and Kassagi) who teach him the tricks of the trade. Though he never gets rich, he loses all interest in Jacques’ attempts to find him legitimate work. He’s also not worried that his mysterious income only furthers suspicion against him. In the midst of this, Michel’s dying mother asks him to visit her, but he refuses. Jacques and Jeanne don’t understand why.

Michel regularly talks with the Police Inspector (Jean Pelegri) who had nabbed him at the beginning. The Inspector is intrigued by Michel’s rationalization as to why petty theft is justifiable. Without admitting to engaging in the activities himself, Michel asserts that some men of superior intelligence have to be allowed to do as they please according to their own moral code. Given his years of experience, the Inspector knows Michel’s contempt for limitations will inexorably end. This back and forth with the Inspector is part of Michel’s attempt to mask his feelings of self-loathing. Michel regularly uses big, intelligent talk to hide his discomfort and insecurity.

When the two thieves are arrested, Michel is forced to go into exile. He makes big money in Milan, Rome, and London, but loses it all in casinos and brothels. Two years later, Michel returns to Paris broke but wiser, and ready to start over.

Clear and efficient, Bresson gets rather neutral (yet appropriate) performances from unknown and untrained actors, who are convincingly emotionless. They only speak when necessary; faces and gestures are used in place of words. Bresson also effectively generates feelings of unease by having Michel reach out for corroboration; challenging the police to catch him, yet also, at least in part, wanting to be caught in hopes of redemption.

The ending of Pickpocket is open to interpretation. However, given that most of Bresson’s films have some religious overtones, it’s hard to argue with those that believe that the film is some kind of reaffirmation in humanity.

Presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Criterion’s 1080p transfer shows definite improvement over the previous DVD release. Textures are impressive throughout; you can see individual threads in Michel’s suit. Contrast offers inky blacks and detail is sharp.

The French LPCM Mono sounds fairly clean, though I did notice some occasional and very slight, sync issues. The music is fairly lush. The dialogue and narration are crisp and have some depth. Ambient sounds are easy to identify. There are no pops, hisses, or otherwise to mention. The English translation is excellent.

English subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Audio Commentary by Film Scholar James Quandt: Recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2005, Quandt speaks rather fast, but he does a good job discussing the films complex themes.
  • Introduction by Paul Schrader (HD, 14:48) Recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2004, the writer/director (Taxi Driver, Cat People) explains why the film is so influential.
  • The Models of “Pickpocket” (HD, 52:15) A 2003 documentary by filmmaker Babette Mangolte, in which several of the actors from the film discuss the casting process, their characters, and working with Bresson. Mangolte travels to Santa Rosa, Mexico, to meet Martin LaSalle, who discusses in great detail the “Bressonian experience.”
  • Cinepanorama (HD, 6:27) A 1960 interview with Robert Bresson from the French television program Cinepanorama.
  • Q&A (HD, 13:07) Filmed after a screening of Pickpocket at the Reflet Mdicis cinema in Paris in 2000, actress Marika Green and filmmakers Paul Vecchiali (Once More) and Jean-Pierre Ameris (Bad Company) explain what makes the film special. They also touch on Bresson’s directing style.
  • Kassagi (HD, 11:35) An archival clip from the show La piste aux etoiles featuring Kassagi, a remarkable sleight-of-hand artist who shows off his skills in front of a large audience. Kassagi was a pickpocket consultant to director Robert Bresson and played the master thief Michel meets on the Paris Metro.
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:34)
  • Booklet: An illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic and novelist Gary Indiana.
  • DVD: Features the film, and all the extras on the Blu-ray.