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Serpico (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
14 March 1974 (Netherlands)
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Tagline:
Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.
Plot:
The true story about an honest New York cop who blew the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Undercover
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Corruption
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1960s
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Hippie
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Policeman
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 4 wins
&
7 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(11 articles)
Warren Beatty, Steven Spielberg, Dino de Laurentiis: Governors Awards 2009
(From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 4:33 PM, PST)
Little Scene : Scarecrow
(From t5m.com. 30 July 2009, 6:07 AM, PDT)
(From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 4:33 PM, PST)
Little Scene : Scarecrow
(From t5m.com. 30 July 2009, 6:07 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Pacino Shines in Classic Grim & Gritty Crime Biopic
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Al Pacino | ... | Officer Frank Serpico |
 | John Randolph | ... | Chief Sidney Green |
 | Jack Kehoe | ... | Tom Keough |
| Biff McGuire | ... | Capt. Insp. McClain |
| Barbara Eda-Young | ... | Laurie |
 | Cornelia Sharpe | ... | Leslie Lane |
| Tony Roberts | ... | Bob Blair |
| John Medici | ... | Pasquale |
 | Allan Rich | ... | Dist. Atty. Herman Tauber |
| Norman Ornellas | ... | Don Rubello |
| Edward Grover | ... | Insp. Lombardo (as Ed Grover) |
| Albert Henderson | ... | Peluce (as Al Henderson) |
| Hank Garrett | ... | Malone |
 | Damien Leake | ... | Joey |
| Joseph Bova | ... | Potts (as Joe Bova) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
129 min | Spain:113 min
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) |
West Germany:18 (original rating) |
Iceland:16 |
Netherlands:12 |
South Korea:15 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Brazil:12 |
Argentina:18 |
Australia:M |
Chile:18 |
Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) |
Norway:18 |
Singapore:NC-16 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
After he decided to make the film, Al Pacino invited Frank Serpico to stay with him at a house that Pacino had rented in Montauk, New York. When Pacino asked Serpico, "Why did you do it?" Serpico replied, "Well, Al, I don't know. I guess I would have to say it would be because... if I didn't, who would I be when I listened to a piece of music?"
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Goofs:
Continuity: Serpico was shot in his face and operated on. He subsequently wakes up after the operation with his beard intact. The hospital would have shaved it to cure the injuries caused by a bullet trespassing his cheek.
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Quotes:
[Given a detective's gold badge]
Frank Serpico: What's this for? For bein' an honest cop? Hmm? Or for being stupid enough to get shot in the face? You tell them that they can shove it.
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Frank Serpico: What's this for? For bein' an honest cop? Hmm? Or for being stupid enough to get shot in the face? You tell them that they can shove it.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Robson Arms: Gila Monster (#3.1)" (2008)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (111 total)
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I'd been wanting to see SERPICO for some time; this real-life crime drama based on Peter Maas' nonfiction bestseller about an honest cop fighting corruption in the NYPD was one of the few grim-and-gritty New York crime dramas that my older brother didn't take me to see when I was a kid! :-) (I should explain that my brother, 9 years my senior, used to take me to the kind of movies he wanted to see -- films like TAXI DRIVER, REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER, etc. Fortunately, I developed a taste for them as well, though our mother didn't think they were really appropriate for a girl as young as I was then. :-) No wonder this film helped young Al Pacino's then-rising star (he was fresh off THE GODFATHER when he began filming SERPICO) to soar to the stratosphere, complete with an Oscar nomination. Pacino's earnest intensity fuses Frank Serpico's disparate qualities into a spellbinding performance. The guy is a bundle of contradictions, the kind of man who could charm you, move you, and drive you crazy at the same time: a nice Catholic boy who can't commit to any of the devoted women in his life; an honest, downright rigid moralist who's also a free spirit known as "Paco" to his friends and lovers; and an undercover cop with detective aspirations whose hippie-like appearance rankled his superiors and fellow officers even as it helped him blend in on assignments. Pacino's riveting performance carries the film, with fine support by John Randolph, Tony Roberts, M. Emmet Walsh, Barbara eda-Young and Cornelia Sharpe, not to mention memorable uncredited turns by F. Murray Abraham, Judd Hirsch, Kenneth McMillan, and Tony LoBianco, among others. Sidney Lumet's taut direction of the script by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler does Maas' source material proud, as well as taking advantage of evocative NYC locations (just try getting this kind of atmosphere in Canada, I dare you! :-). The sparing use of simple yet haunting music by Mikis Theodorakis sets the tone well. The end result: one of the best films of the 1970s and beyond. Rent the DVD to see some fascinating extras about the making of the film and the filmmakers' experiences with Frank Serpico himself, including interviews with Lumet and producer Martin Bregman (no Pacino, alas).