DC Fairhurst and Lucy Green’s film could have been a by-the-numbers genre piece. Instead it is fun, frothy and refreshingly different
Audiences have been conditioned to expect movies that are either in full colour or, more occasionally now, black and white – and ne’er the twain shall meet. Or, at least, very rarely: the sassy, small-budget crime flick Pickpockets joins a small consortium of films – including Rumble Fish, Pleasantville and Schindler’s List – that zhoosh things up by mixing both. In each of these, colourised elements are tied to symbolic purposes: a conservative world growing in complexity (Pleasantville) and evoking individuality and innocence (the red coat in Schindler’s List).
There’s no obvious logic behind which aspects of the screen are highlighted in Pickpockets: an Australian flag, a train door, some street art. Often these colourised elements are objects stolen by the lead characters, thieves Jesse (DC Fairhurst) and Robin (Lucy Green), such as a turquoise purse swiped early in the runtime. Sticking to colourising just the pilfered items might have made the technique feel less like a gimmick – but hey, it’s an enjoyable one.