Serpico

Unrated

8/6/20042h 9m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop. ~

Overview:

New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$3,500,000.00

Revenue:

$30,800,000.00

Key words:

new york city
corruption
hippie
police
biography
idealism
based on true story
idealist
money
undercover cop
internal affairs
police corruption
biting
social justice
police vigilantism
questioning
whistleblower
grim
serious
cops
fighting the system
tense
intense
sinister
antagonistic
arrogant
callous
disgusted
enraged
informative

Cast

Al Pacino

~ as ~

Officer Frank Serpico

John Randolph

~ as ~

Sidney Green

Jack Kehoe

~ as ~

Tom Keough

Biff McGuire

~ as ~

Captain McClain

Barbara Eda-Young

~ as ~

Laurie

Cornelia Sharpe

~ as ~

Leslie Lane

Tony Roberts

~ as ~

Bob Blair

John Medici

~ as ~

Pasquale

Allan Rich

~ as ~

D. A. Tauber

Norman Ornellas

~ as ~

Rubello

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 11 year(s) ago
9
An honest cop. Who would believe that?

Serpico is directed by Sidney Lumet and adapted to screenplay by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from Peter Maas’ biography of NYPD officer Frank Serpico who stood up to expose rife corruption in the force. It stars Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire, Bernard Barrow, Nathan George and Tony Roberts. Music is by Mikis Theodorakis and Giacomo Puccini and cinematography by Arthur J. Ornitz..

Great story telling meets a first class acting performance in Lumet’s searing movie. Frank Serpico (Pacino), a legend to us mere mortals out on the street, but the most hated man on the NYPD, so much so he almost paid for his sense of what’s right and wrong with his life.

Picture follows Frank through his integration on the force and onto the build up of corruption he comes across. All the time we are also getting an insight into the man himself, his life and loves outside of work, with Lumet and Pacino making sure Frank is not painted as a saintly perfectionist, there is no halo above his head, he has flaws like everybody else. New York is expertly painted as a raw and grubby place, the hustle and bustle a nuisance, and the seamy underside where crims and dirty coppers dwell makes you feel like taking a shower. It proves to be a riveting character study and a thought provoking expose at the same time, while ultimately it proves to be a touching experience come the culmination of the drama.

Excellent. 9/10