Serpico (1973)

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

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Peter Maas (book), Waldo Salt (screenplay)

Stars:

Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Serpico
John Randolph	...	Sidney Green
Jack Kehoe	...	Tom Keough
Biff McGuire	...	Captain McClain
Barbara Eda-Young	...	Laurie (as Barbara eda-Young)
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Leslie
Tony Roberts	...	Bob Blair
John Medici	...	Pasquale
Allan Rich	...	D.A. Tauber
Norman Ornellas	...	Rubello
Edward Grover	...	Lombardo (as Ed Grover)
Albert Henderson	...	Peluce (as Al Henderson)
Hank Garrett	...	Malone
Damien Leake	...	Joey
Joseph Bova	...	Potts (as Joe Bova)

Storyline

Serpico is a cop in the 1960s-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.

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Plot Keywords:

police corruption | police | corruption | new york city | undercover cop | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

26 February 1974 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Serpiko

Filming Locations:

5-7 Minetta Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$29,800,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artists Entertainment Complex, Produzioni De Laurentiis International Manufacturing Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Al Pacino would sometimes go in character to different neighborhoods, some of them dangerous. One story has it that Pacino was so in character that he pulled over a truck driver and threatened to arrest him for exhaust pollution.

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Goofs

As the cops watch the drug dealer's apartment near the end of the movie, a Renault Dauphine is parked in the front of the building. It disappears after Frank enters the building. Once the police bust the two users leaving the building, the gray car parked across the sidewalk on the other side of the street disappears as well.

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Quotes

Frank Serpico: [Screaming repeatedly] It's my life you fuck!

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Alternate Versions

There is one Australian VHS version released through RCA Columbia Pictures Hoyts Home Video in the 1980's which had all profanity overdubbed with tamer language, as well as some scenes of sexuality/nudity. Subsequent releases on DVD are uncensored.

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Connections

Referenced in Training Day (2001)

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Soundtracks

E Lucevan le Stelle
(uncredited)
from "Tosca"
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Giuseppe Di Stefano

User Reviews

Serpico: A Name That Became Famous

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.