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Storyline
Serpico is a cop in the early 1970s. Unlike all his colleagues, he refuses a share of the money that the cops routinely extort from local criminals. Nobody wants to work with Serpico, and he's in constant danger of being placed in life threatening positions by his "partners". Nothing seems to get done even when he goes to the highest of authorities. Despite the dangers he finds himself in, he still refuses to 'go with the flow', in the hope that one day, the truth will be known. Written by
Rob Hartill
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Taglines:
Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.
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Did You Know?
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
As the cops are monitoring the drug dealer's apartment near the end of the movie, there is a French Renault Dauphine parked in the front of the building. The Dauphine disappears after Frank enters the building. The gray car parked across the sidewalk on the other side of the street disappears as well, once the police bust the 2 users leaving the building.
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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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Connections
Referenced in
School for Scoundrels (2006)
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Soundtracks
"E Lucevan le Stelle"
(uncredited)
from "Tosca"
Music by
Giacomo Puccini
Performed by
Giuseppe Di Stefano See more »
There have so many crooked-cops-themed films in the past 30 years that this film has lost a lot of its shock-and-awe. The long hair, wild clothes, beads, etc. really date this film, too, it being so early '70s in looks. It's almost become a "period piece" as if it were the Roaring Twenties except its the Sleazy Seventies.
All you have to do is look at the party scene in here and you'll get a glimpse at the early '70s, and most of it is not good. What IS good is Al Pacino's acting, of course. There have been very few films in which he starred that didn't displaying his acting talents to the fullest. This one, along with Dog Day Afternoon and few others, put him "on the map," making him a big star. He's been a "star" ever since.
This is a fairly long film but, like Pacino, it's rarely boring. The name of Pacino's character, "Serpico," has become synonymous with "honest cop." It demonstrates what a strong impact this movie had on millions of people.
Gritty? Yes. Profane? Yes; Memorable? Most definitely. When you speak of modern-day "classics," this film is one of them.