After watching the movie, I have to say that this is a peculiar movie (not commendatory or derogatory, my analysis of the film’s background and shooting angle is unprofessional, only my personal opinion). The film was produced in 1959, about the early days of the new wave of French films. I did not finish watching François Truffaut’s famous "Four Hundred Strikes" in the new wave of French films. I felt dull, but "Ancestor and Account" Personally, I think it’s pretty good, and I was also impressed by the movie "As You Like It" directed by Jean Luc Godard, which consists of 11 acts. The scenes of French movies in that era switched quickly. It seemed to be a series of scenes, omitting a lot of content in the middle, only keeping the main plot, and there will be some dialogues that escape the plot (the location is generally (In cafes or pubs) the thoughts that movies want to express are usually directly spoken in the conversation of the characters, and the language is not packaged in the plot (some Chinese movies add plot to the story for the purpose of telling golden sentences:)) Don't pretend the connotation of the movie is worth exploring.
The peculiarity of this movie is the diary narration of the characters. Most of them are minimalist in guiding the direction of the story, rather than modern movies and TV series, and the side effects are mostly sensational or explanation. And next to the film is the diary of the protagonist, most of which ends in one sentence, and then the actor's performance follows the instructions of the narration, but it must be said that the performance of the actors in this film is not a natural expression of emotions, the performance is too blunt, according to The actors who introduced this film are not professional actors, which makes sense.
Therefore, acting in this movie is not an element that can move people's hearts. It's "the art of pickpockets."
Michelle is obsessed with this "art", is a hardworking and motivated pickpocket, and will continue to study new skills. I have to say that although many of the actor's emotional performances are not in place, the filming of stealing things is very exciting. Whether it is stealing a wallet from a newspaper or helping a person with a watch, his tactics can only be described with ingenuity. The "performance art" of pickpockets reached a wonderful peak at the station. The teamwork and the displacement of the wallet and banknotes seemed to be watching a few magicians performing. The passengers' money was just like that, and the passengers lined up to the pickpockets. In his arms, it was shocking to see.
Michelle is obsessed with this kind of "art" and can hardly extricate himself from it. Facing the police detectives, he said, "It's an old saying, they (pickpockets) are smart people, and they are very talented and talented by God. It is necessary. They can choose not to live like ordinary people, and can break the law? (Maybe it is the subtitle translation problem I watched) They can judge their right or wrong by their conscience and morality. "This is indeed true. Subverted the universal values, but it can be seen that Michel believes that he is not wrong, and is somewhat proud of the police detective's helplessness to him. "Speaking of a thief is also beneficial, the world is turned upside down!" "Because the world was turned upside down, it should be restored to its original position."
Almost everyone in the movie was in suits and ties, including Michelle, walking in the crowd. Who can tell the criminals? After the Second World War, the economy has not yet fully recovered, and many people are struggling on the poverty line, especially the younger generation, who are full of confusion about life, hesitating like Michelle, looking for a way.
Is he really ethical judging his talent as he said? No, he didn't think he was a useful person to society like he did when facing a police detective. He was pretending. The best symbol is the "door". From the beginning of the film, I felt that the door of Michelle’s little house was very strange. That kind of "pretend" to be closed, in fact everyone can push away at will. For example, a police detective asks Michelle to go to the police station, but actually sends someone to search his home, so he can enter easily. The door means defense, protection and self-space. This door is just like Michel's situation. He has no ability to defend, no protection, and no self. He has no sense of security at all. He walked in the crowd, made a fortune, and then hid in a crack in the wall, watching six directions, listening to all directions, not seeing people directly, and tense shoulders when walking. It is impossible to sleep easily every night. Isn’t that the price of being a pickpocket?
Talk about art! It's just for living!
And did all the uneasiness start when he was a pickpocket? It should not be. I do not agree that Michelle became a pickpocket because he was addicted to the "art". It was just a kind of self-comfort for him. His pickpocket was forced by life. His situation has always been very bad. The reason is that he did not. Survival skills (he and Jenny confessed). I saw other pickpockets by chance, what an easy way to make money. He had stolen his mother's money before, so he couldn't face his mother properly, and his conscience was condemned. But he thinks money is very important and he wants to survive. When he stole the money, he went to visit his mother without entering the door. He just gave the money to Jenny and left. This was his way of filial piety. He likes Jenny, he knows from the way he looks at her every time, but always with a kind of restraint, because he knows his ugliness. Later he asked Jacques, "Did you fall in love with Jenny? What about her? You should give her a gift, shouldn't you?" If you fall in love with her, you should give her a gift. In Michele's view, money is a way of expressing affection. This kind of medium (it is also a fact) but Michelle is too important.
The price of being a pickpocket is not only the inner anxiety, the fear of being arrested, but also the speaking to the beloved
"Do you think I am a thief?"
"It's a thief."
"Then I won't shake your hand."
In order to be free and avoid being arrested, Michelle left Paris, but banished himself from gambling and playing with women. For him, he has nothing to worry about, and his moral condemnation is getting weaker and weaker in his heart. When the money was almost spent, and finally returned to Paris helplessly, it was still Jenny who gave him the power to take responsibility. When he saw Jenny, there was hope in his eyes. However, the "original sin" general pickpocket nature made him end up in prison. He appeared indifferent to Jenny, but he was actually waiting for Jenny. Jenny said "I only have you", which made him feel the bondage of prison. He finally understood how painful it is to let the beloved one wait when a pickpocket loses his freedom.
Finally, Michelle finally took hold of the cage he had said was invisible, and looked at Jenny as if it were the light of redemption. He finally found a reason to live well, a meaning of life that he had been looking for. He used to live like a mouse, but now he wants to live powerfully (the best word I can think of).
"Oh, Jane, what a strange path I have walked to be with you."
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