Pickpocket (French, 1959)
Director: Robert Bresson
To people who believe that their job is the most difficult one on the planet, this is an eye opener. A pickpocket has to plan his moves, strategise, be imaginative, be supple with his fingers and beyond anything be vigilant with the law man at all times. In this film, the thief even uses a manual (for pickpockets) to enhance his efficacy!
He also wants to be a normal individual doing things what most people do in life. However, he is either too weak or too lazy to be getting into the social routines that we are expected to do. Like getting up early, be at post at a specified time day in and day out, handling the eventualities that come with the job and dealing with the bosses. Perhaps, he lacks the discipline.
Michel is a loafer who goes on with life through pickpocketing. The law sometimes catches with him. He has a sick mother whom he rather not see. Maybe, he is embarrassed for being a failure in his mother's eyes or maybe he cannot stand her nagging. He meets his mother's neighbour, Jeanne, whom he develops a liking. After a near escape from the clutches of the law, he leaves for England.
After a few steady jobs here and there and burning all of them on booze and women, he returns to Paris penniless. He finds Jeanne with an illegitimate child with his friend Jacques, who had gone missing. She does not want to marry him anyway because she does not love him!
Michel promise to take of her and her kid. He tries get his life straight but again his inner demons took control. He is caught pickpocketing and is imprisoned.
This French movie is one of the early movies that glorifies acts of anti-heroism. It makes us think of the psychology of a person who finds it so hard to follow the part of righteousness. Even though the mind wants to change, the heart is weak. And they stay forever in the lowest rung of society. They are not stupid people. On the contrary, they are intelligent, highly skilled and dextrous. The only thing they sorely lack is the discipline to stick on to what is universally accepted as right.
Since we are at it, might as well discuss about it. A recalcitrant thief would get his hand amputated under what people call as a just law. Then what? Is he going to change over a new slate in remorse and never steal again? Probably a bad one at it since his dexterity is compromised. So how is he is going to fend for himself and his dependents since the only thing he was 'good' at is gone. Is the state going to take care of them seamlessly from womb to tomb? Even our present method of punishment does not seem to reduce crime, surely another method of correcting them must be looked into. One which appear humane, appear to be fair to the weaker sex who are bursting out with yell of help and fair play as we speak and to be fair to the family unit.
Some say that they are just carrying God's law on Earth. Yet at the same breath, man preach that they are weak and are incapable of fair play. And that only God is omnipotent. omnipresent and omniscience. Since human being is so flawed, it is best God's law be meted by God himself. Not mere mortals.
Director: Robert Bresson
To people who believe that their job is the most difficult one on the planet, this is an eye opener. A pickpocket has to plan his moves, strategise, be imaginative, be supple with his fingers and beyond anything be vigilant with the law man at all times. In this film, the thief even uses a manual (for pickpockets) to enhance his efficacy!He also wants to be a normal individual doing things what most people do in life. However, he is either too weak or too lazy to be getting into the social routines that we are expected to do. Like getting up early, be at post at a specified time day in and day out, handling the eventualities that come with the job and dealing with the bosses. Perhaps, he lacks the discipline.
Michel is a loafer who goes on with life through pickpocketing. The law sometimes catches with him. He has a sick mother whom he rather not see. Maybe, he is embarrassed for being a failure in his mother's eyes or maybe he cannot stand her nagging. He meets his mother's neighbour, Jeanne, whom he develops a liking. After a near escape from the clutches of the law, he leaves for England.After a few steady jobs here and there and burning all of them on booze and women, he returns to Paris penniless. He finds Jeanne with an illegitimate child with his friend Jacques, who had gone missing. She does not want to marry him anyway because she does not love him!
Michel promise to take of her and her kid. He tries get his life straight but again his inner demons took control. He is caught pickpocketing and is imprisoned.This French movie is one of the early movies that glorifies acts of anti-heroism. It makes us think of the psychology of a person who finds it so hard to follow the part of righteousness. Even though the mind wants to change, the heart is weak. And they stay forever in the lowest rung of society. They are not stupid people. On the contrary, they are intelligent, highly skilled and dextrous. The only thing they sorely lack is the discipline to stick on to what is universally accepted as right.
Since we are at it, might as well discuss about it. A recalcitrant thief would get his hand amputated under what people call as a just law. Then what? Is he going to change over a new slate in remorse and never steal again? Probably a bad one at it since his dexterity is compromised. So how is he is going to fend for himself and his dependents since the only thing he was 'good' at is gone. Is the state going to take care of them seamlessly from womb to tomb? Even our present method of punishment does not seem to reduce crime, surely another method of correcting them must be looked into. One which appear humane, appear to be fair to the weaker sex who are bursting out with yell of help and fair play as we speak and to be fair to the family unit.
Some say that they are just carrying God's law on Earth. Yet at the same breath, man preach that they are weak and are incapable of fair play. And that only God is omnipotent. omnipresent and omniscience. Since human being is so flawed, it is best God's law be meted by God himself. Not mere mortals.
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