Serpico (1973) Review

Lucas Versantvoort / December 2, 2014

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.