Pickpocket King, the documentary National Geographic made about Bob Arno and me in a den of thieves, consistently garners great comments on youtube. I want to point out this thoughtful one by Maniac Mcgee, whose unique view is worth noting.
If you haven’t seen the film, take a peek through the backdoor into the hidden world of thievery and pickpocketry where in Naples, Italy, the world’s best pickpockets challenge Bob Arno to a match of skills. In this National Geographic documentary, a gang of pickpockets demonstrate how they steal and reveal a human side that victims can’t imagine. Then an amazing celebratory dinner with six thieves morphs into a challenge that might be one step too far for Bob Arno. Watch the film.
Here’s Maniac Mcgee’s interesting perspective:
This really is beautiful. It’s the truest expression of cultural exchange. Two entirely different types of people, brought together by their love and proficiency at a rare and transgressive skill, laughing and sharing and exchanging techniques. Of course pickpockets in Naples were going to get better after this. It was inevitable. It was also inevitable that Bob was going to get better. He’s taking some of what he learned and applying it on the stage. They are taking some of what they learned and applying it on the street. That’s fair. The most beautiful moment was actually where for a brief time Bob got to feel the fear of doing this “for real,” and the “real” got to feel a bit of what Bob does- stealing for an audience, showing off your skills, and getting to do it without shame, or risk of jail. That was a true cultural exchange. And if a few more people in Naples get their wallets or Gucci belts snatched, that’s evolution.
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