365 Days. 365 Films.

Pickpocket is Bresson’s fifth feature length film and probably his most famous about a man’s financial struggles and his mother’s illness which lead him to thievery. This 1959 French film has been noted as one of the most influential pieces of art cinema of the fifties with Bresson’s famous use of ascetic style of cinematography.

The direction is impeccable, heightening the drama within the main character and although the story is, on the surface, pretty thin, Bresson’s cinematography and theatrical use of his actors characterises the subject matter to deeper levels. This is a movie that film or art students could have a lot of fun with, but if that isn’t your thing then it might not interest you, but if for nothing else, it’s a stunning work of art and a character driven narrative that you cannot help but engage with.

Overall I would say that this is a hidden treasure is as much as it might not be something you have heard of unless you do study film, and it is a must-see film for all – there is something that everyone can engage with on all sorts of levels.