Cinema Revisited: Serpico (1973)

Directed by Sidney Lumet. Cast: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Tony Roberts, Allen Rich, Barbara Eda-Young, F. Murray Abraham. Released December 5, 1973. 130 minutes.

Frank Serpico made headlines for blowing the lid on nefarious undercover activities in the police department while he was a cop. His discoveries, investigation, and ultimate success are chronicled in this film featuring Al Pacino in the title role.

Director Sidney Lumet avoids a linear structure for the narrative, offering a series of vignettes that help to explain the character and his conflicts. It is fascinating to see how his misgivings slowly develop. When he is merely a rookie cop, he is given a free lunch of some fatty roast beef. He wonders about getting better food if he pays like everyone else, and is told not to make trouble. That initial situation gives him pause, and things slowly escalate. Each new incident helps to compound the escalating levels of corruption that Serpico discovers.

Now that the film is over 45 years old and has comfortably settled into classic status, we can see it as among the finest films of the 1970s. It was released in 1973, maybe the best year for films in that decade ("Papillon," "The Way We Were," "Mean Streets," "Paper Moon," "American Graffiti," "The Last Detail," "Sleeper," "High Plains Drifter," "The Long Goodbye," "Save the Tiger," "Paper Chase," etc.). Lumet stated in later interviews that they began filming on July 4, 1973 and were expected to have the movie released by Christmas. Having a complete, edited, final print ready in that little time was an enormous challenge. It is especially remarkable that the film is so well done.

In its time, the saga of Frank Serpico tapped into the counterculture's rebellion, the film showing a man defying corruption within his own rule enforcing world. However, it is not merely a product of its time. Like all great movies of the 70s, "Serpico" transcends its era as good cinema, and a story that continues to resonate in a much different culture. The film holds up well during the 21st century. The story is still compelling, the direction impressive, the acting brilliant.

Pacino offers one of the finest performances of his long career, in fact it helps to define his most noted screen persona moreso than even his star making turn in "The Godfather" (1972). Pacino specializes in playing characters that are at once quiet and measured, and then loud and volatile, capable of exploding with unbridled passion. Serpico's stress level due to what he knows he must do allows Pacino to tap into a variety of extreme emotions while still maintaining the characters necessary balance. The real Frank Serpico was awarded the Medal of Honor and left the NYPD in 1972. He agreed to let Pacino study him, ask him any number of questions, and even live with him to help prepare for the role.

Director Lumet avoids convention, and his approach results in an engrossing and moving drama that is sustained by its performances. Along with Pacino, veteran support from the likes of John Randolph, Tony Roberts, and Allen Rich is coupled with newcomers like Barbara Eda-Young, in her film debut, offering an outstanding performance as Serpico's girlfriend Laurie, who must respond to his varying moods. The film was made for around $3 million, and grossed over ten times that amount.

"Serpico" is a timeless classic from one of the strongest periods in movie history.