 |
|
|
|
| | | |
| MatchFlick Member Reviews |
view all movie information
Directed By
Sidney Lumet
Written By:
Norman Wexler, Waldo Salt, Peter Maas
Cast:
Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire, Cornelia Sharpe, Tony Roberts, Edward Grover, Allan Rich, Hank Garrett, Damien Leake, Joseph Bova, James Tolkan, John Stewart, Barbara Eda-Young, John Medici .... Pasquale, Norman Ornellas, Albert Henderson, Gene Gross, John Stewart, Woodie King Jr.
|
|
|
| |
Serpico (1973)
 email this review to a friend
Movie Review by Jarrod
October 15th, 2008
|  |
Al Pacino had a string of classic performances in the 1970s, starting with The Panic in Needle Park, then progressing through the Godfather films, Scarecrow, Dog Day Afternoon, and 'Serpico', in which he played the title character, Frank Serpico, a cop who exposes rampant corruption within the ranks of the NYPD. Directed by the great Sidney Lumet, 'Serpico' is a gritty and compelling drama that illustrates how the police, who have sworn to uphold and protect the law, can violate it as easily as any criminal, and without consequence. They skim money from bookies and drug dealers, take bribes from the mafia, and they are able to cover their tracks rather effectively, having the tacit approval of their superiors, like Captain McClain (Biff McGuire) and maybe even Commissioner Delaney (Charles White), both of whom undoubtedly benefit from these illegal arrangements.
Serpico refuses to take money, which makes him unpopular with his colleagues. They do not feel like they can trust him to keep quiet about their activities. He wants an investigation, and keeps getting false assurances from McClain, who tells him that he has discussed the matter with Delaney, and that the problem will be addressed. Serpico is approached by Bob Blair (Tony Roberts), who has powerful contacts, in the mayor's office, and at The New York Times, but Serpico is reluctant to go to outside agencies, until they become a last resort. Serpico works the streets as a plainclothes detective, but adopts an unorthodox dress code that has him alternately looking like a hippie and a wino, with long hair and a beard, but this allows him to patrol inconspicuously.
He is a man of admirable courage, honesty, and integrity, but as the situation worsens, and he discovers that other precincts are raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars, the issue gets touchier and more dangerous, and he fears for his life, grows increasingly volatile and paranoid, which affects his personal relationships, as he alienates the women who have considered marrying him, but are driven away when they endure verbal assaults, as easy targets for his frustration, anger, and despair. He is invited to testify before a Grand Jury, but is irritated that the District Attorney (Allan Rich) will not seek indictments for the higher-ups, but will instead settle for finding a couple of flunkies to take the fall, and the corruption is likely to continue, but at least it will be drawn out into the open and no longer kept hidden from the public. Much of the story is told in flashback, since we know from the start that Serpico has been shot, perhaps by one of his fellow officers.
One of Frank's most important allies is Chief Sidney Green (John Randolph), who has put dirty cops behind bars on numerous occasions and thus understands how it feels to be despised throughout the city. Pacino earned an Oscar nomination, along with screenwriters Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler. The film belongs entirely to Pacino, and while this is not his best work, it did help to establish him as one of America's finest actors, and that is a distinction he certainly deserves, as his career enters its fourth decade. Lumet, incidentally, is one of our finest directors, and they made a dynamite pair.
email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
Sorry, you must be a member to add comments to reviews.
Join or Login. |
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS
|
