I've never seen the Godfather (I know, I'm a terrible person) so this is really the first movie where I've been absolutely blown away by the performance of Al Pacino; this one's definitely Oscar-worthy. The entirety of the Serpico character and his story had me fully engrossed through this film. It doesn't feel dated at all! The score, the acting, the effects, all wonderful.And this is one of the few films that I've felt really captured the essence of a city in a certain time period absolutely perfectly. This was a dark time for NY and "Serpico" accurately reflects this through its grittiness.I love Lumet's direction in this one; all the different shots and on-sight scenes really cause the viewer to feel fully absorbed into the story, almost as if he or she is really there with Serpico. I love the strategy of using his growing facial hair as a way of showing the passing of time.I really can't say enough about this movie. Serpico is a fully-fleshed out protagonist that really makes the viewer sympathize with his plight in a corrupt society. This story feels oh too relevant over 40 years.

Al Pacino wasn't quite on fire as an actor when he made this film but he sure lit things up afterward. Fresh off his role as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather", Pacino broke new ground as an honest cop taking on the entire New York City Police Department in this unflinching look at police corruption in the five boroughs. You have to admire what the real life Frank Serpico must have gone through, I'm sure the picture only touched the surface of what he must have faced among fellow cops and superiors. More than anything, the story reinforced the idea that after just so long banging one's head against a wall, is there anyone at all you can really trust to get a message across. After all was said and done, Serpico got his gold shield at a point when it really didn't matter to him any more. Disillusioned, Serpico retired from the police force on June 15, 1972 and spent a decade recuperating and living in Switzerland and the Netherlands before returning to the States. Born in 1936, Frank Serpico turned eighty earlier this year as I write this.

"Serpico" is a fascinating character study and a masterful police/courtroom thriller in one movie. It features one of the all time great film performances from Al Pacino in the title role as a conflicted cop who just wants to do the right thing, and another excellent directorial turn from that unsung American master, Sidney Lumet.All Frank Serpico ever wanted to be was a cop. He is uncomfortable on the job from the start as his colleagues on the force cut corners and lie in their paper work about who caught who. An initial bust of three rapists ends in one of the perpetrators - the least criminal of the group - beaten savagely, but still unwilling to divulge the names of his accomplices. Serpico convinces the young black man to change his mind through diplomacy rather than violence.Smart police-work like this puts Serpico on the fast track to detective work, but he finds that the higher he climbs the promotion ladder, the more often he is expected to turn a blind eye to blatant police corruption, including superiors rubbing shoulders with mobsters, and criminals who don't even try to hide their bribery attempts, so assured are they of immunity from the palms they've greased.Serpico's climax, after so much tension is felt by the viewer through Al Pacino's characterisation, his voice, his eyes, his face, his body language, is shockingly violent and heartbreaking, but it's the solemnly life affirming conclusion I will remember.

Serpico combined the talents of up-and-comer Al Pacino and director Sidney Lumet. Pacino had just broken into the Hollywood scene with his performance in The Godfather and Lumet had already directed successes like The Pawnbroker after a successful string of television gigs. Here, they sought to dramatically portray the life and times of Serpico, an honest cop in a sea of corrupt ones.And that already sums up the entire film quite nicely. We're introduced to Serpico, just a regular nice guy. He becomes a cop, eager to do good, and slowly but surely becomes aware of how many cops don't do their jobs. From nickel and dime stuff (shakedowns and payoffs) to large scale corruption (in the narcotics division). Yet, Serpico doesn't buckle under the pressure, but maintains his integrity, an act with which he puts his own life at increasing risk.The acting is one of the main reasons to watch Serpico. Pacino's peak was undoubtedly in the 70s. He received back-to-back Oscar nominations for The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather Part II and Dog Day Afternoon and it's not hard to see why. Pacino has always been a highly dramatic actor and his skills are on full display in Serpico. Pacino captures Serpico's youthful enthusiasm (in the relationship with Laurie and when he's just starting out as a cop) and his mounting frustration (when Serpico's integrity is tested more and more).Speaking of mounting frustration, that's one of the best parts of the screenplay: the gradual shift in tone. The film starts with Serpico driven to a hospital after suffering a gunshot wound. We don't know how he's been shot, but the rest of the film flashes back to when he became a cop to the fateful incident. As such, the film starts out relatively lighthearted with his promotion to police officer and his idealism. And then the film shows glimpses of corruption on a small scale. Towards the end, Serpico's dealing with highly organized corrupt narcotics officers. Through it all, it becomes harder and harder for Serpico to defy his colleagues without fearing for his life. The film expertly captures this downward spiral. Sadly, it's also the film's structure and overall storyline that might be its greatest weakness. While the shift in tone is wonderfully realized, not a lot changes. You're basically watching countless variations on Serpico defying police corruption and it occasionally drags the experience down, though it all depends on the viewer. One might appreciate the slice-of-life style, while another might get bored. Overall though, Pacino's acting, the great directing and screenplay all coalesce to provide a thrilling experience.