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Al Pacino, Tony Roberts, Jack Kehoe, Cornelia Sharpe, Barbara Eda-Young ... see more see more... , James Tolkan , Lewis J. Stadlen , M. Emmet Walsh , Kenneth McMillan , John Randolph , Biff McGuire , F Murray Abraham , Bernard Barrow , Don Billett , Mildred Clinton , Ed Crowley , George Ede , René Enríquez , Richard Foronjy , Hank Garrett , Nathan George , Gene Gross , Edward Grover , Albert Henderson , Judd Hirsch , Damien Leake , John Lehne , John Medici , Alan North , Norman Ornellas , Mary Louise Weller , Charles White , Allan Rich , Scott Franklin , Ted Beniades , Joe Bova , Sal Carollo , Tim Pelt , John Stewart

Adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from Peter Maas's book, Sidney Lumet's drama portrays the real-life struggle of an honest New York City cop against a corrupt system. Neophyte officer Frank Ser... read more read more...pico (Al Pacino) is determined not to let his job get in the way of his individuality. Despite his colleagues' leery reactions, he keeps one foot firmly planted in the counterculture, sporting a beard and love beads and living in bohemian Greenwich Village, while he performs his police duties with dispatch. Serpico's peers genuinely ostracize him, however, when he refuses to take bribes like everybody else. Appalled by the extent of police corruption, Serpico goes to his superiors, but when he discovers that they have ignored his charges, he takes the potentially fatal step of breaking the blue wall of silence and going public with his exposé. Serpico's revelations trigger an independent investigation by the Knapp Commission, but they also make him a marked man, permanently changing his life. Shot on location with a gritty emphasis on documentary-style realism, Serpico presents a city in decay both literally and morally, as everybody is in on the take, and the cops and criminals are almost interchangeable. Released in late 1973, after months of revelations of Presidential malfeasance in the breaking Watergate scandal, Serpico's true story of bureaucratic depravity touched a cultural nerve, and the film became a hit with both critics and audiences, particularly for Pacino's complex performance as the honest, long-haired whistleblower. One year after his star-making triumph in The Godfather, Pacino was nominated for an Oscar again, and lost again; Lumet and Pacino would reunite two years later for another true New York story, Dog Day Afternoon. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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85% liked it

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90% liked it

39 critics

R, 2 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Sidney Lumet

Release Date: December 5, 1973

Keywords: cop

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DVD Release Date: December 3, 2002

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Flixster Reviews (2,169)

  • LoughnerWasLucid
    April 28, 2012
    LoughnerWasLucid
    My favorite Al Pacino movies will always be "88 Minutes" and a "Righteous Kill", followed by "Jack and Jill." But this one sure comes close! didn't he play in some big gangster movie as well?
  • ajv2688
    December 30, 2010
    ajv2688
    My favourite movie about a cop who fights against the corruption in his department, Pacino is fantastic in this movie. Plus, it's based on a true story, which makes it cooler. I highly recommend this movie.
  • fb619846742
    August 9, 2010
    fb619846742
    A brave, unflinching look at police corruption, powered by an electrifying Al Pacino portraying Frank Serpico and how he stood above his fellow officers. Although the film is dated (seen in the opening when Serpico suffers a wound to his face and it rewinds back - back when this ... read moremovie made everyone knew who Frank Serpico was and knew that this had happened - not me), it is fearless in detailing the disturbing and despicable men who were employed at the NYPD during the late 60's. In terms of dirty cop movies, this one takes the cake. As already mentioned, a lot of credit has to go to Pacino for making this film so enamoring, for his character is curiously laid-back until he starts to realize just how much he's risking his life with his actions against his own men. For a two hour movie, it flies by fast, as director Sidney Lumet proves once again that he's a master of pacing his films. For any Pacino fan (like me), this is a must-see.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    March 30, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Say it isn't so, Serpico."

    The true story about an honest New York cop who blew the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

    REVIEW

    Hot off "The G... read moreodfather", Al Pacino got the equally good role of New York cop Frank Serpico, who exposed corruption in the NYPD. The movie really gives one an insight into the Big Apple in the late '60s and early '70s, and we see how Serpico was basically the only cop on the force who took his job seriously. Eventually, of course, his cohorts took revenge on him.

    What's really interesting in the movie is the contrast between Serpico when he's in uniform and when he's undercover, looking like the ultimate hippie. But above all, "Serpico" shows why Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors of our time. And of course, this was when director Sidney Lumet was going through what was probably the best period in his career (along with "Murder on the Orient Express", "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Network"). A great movie.
  • bottcorecords1
    March 26, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    A cop gets shot, the police are taking him to the hospital. "Guess who's been shot?" says the cop calling it in. Everyone knows it's Serpico. It's been expected ("I know at least 3 cops who would've liked to have shot him" says one of the police back at the station). Why? Wh... read morey is Serpico the most hated man on the force? Based on the real life of Frank Serpico, "Serpico" is the story of an honest cop who's stuck in a world of graft and police corruption. He's unusual for a cop: he dresses like a hippy, he he has unusual taste (in opera, ballet, etc.), and has an extreme love of animals (every scene, the guy has a different pet- dog, mouse, parrot, etc.). This makes him an outsider from the start. While not every cop is on the take, it just seems that way, Serpico is paired with corrupt partners time and time again. The thing about cops on the take, they don't trust cops who ain't. Serpico's relationships all suffer the strain of being an outsider in a world where your life depends on the trust of your fellow officers. He blows up at home, taking his frustrations out on his girlfriends. The corruption goes all the way to the top. When the D.A. wants Serpico to testify, he doesn't see why he should stick his neck out, if it's only for the penny ante street cops. If Serpico's going down, he wants to go after the big names. "Serpico" is a tough cop film that bridges the gap between 40s and 50s film noir and 70s realism, but it's a 70s movie through and through (though maybe not as much noir as say "Chinatown"). I assume it also provided the inspiration for 80s cop shows like "Hill Street Blues". A tense drama about good in the face of overwhelming evil.
  • ythelastman89
    November 24, 2009
    ythelastman89
    I didn't particularly find this to be all that great. While Al Pacino is great, it has a lengthy story that has very little importance. It tended to get a little preachy at times and I felt it lacked a purpose. It's extremely dated, in the worst way possible.
  • SirPant
    September 7, 2009
    SirPant
    Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino at their finest. This is a very slow paced but utterly cool police drama that has often been mimicked but has never been bettered. Brilliant.
  • DrZeek
    August 11, 2009
    DrZeek
    Tom Keough: Now I ain't sayin' who. They just said ya'... ya' couldn't be trusted, you know?
    Frank Serpico: 'Cause I don't take money, right?
    Tom Keough: Frank, let's face it. Who can trust a cop who don't take money?

    A well made cop drama from director Sidney Lumet. Pacino is... read more very good in the lead as a cop who goes through great lengths to stay honest to himself, as well as dealing with an ever changing wardrobe and hairstyles. Its a solid drama without any major action scenes to cheat the tone of the film.

    Pacino stars as Frank Serpico, first entering the film tragically, as he is carted into the ER with a gunshot wound to the face. Jumping back in time, we see Serpico as he first joins the force. During Serpico's time, as he slowly moves up the ladder, he is witness to a number of his fellow officers skimming off the top through criminal shake downs and bribes. Serpico will have none of this, even when offered, making the other guys nervous to befriend him. It doesn't help that Serpico chooses to work as an undercover cop, embracing the counterculture scene, letting his hair and bear grow long and looking generally shaggy throughout.

    Eventually, as Serpico becomes more and more fed up with corruption, he takes it upon himself to try and get the word out to the higher up officials that there are problems within the force. However, Serpico has a lot of red tape to get through if he wants to see any sort of action get taken.

    Gun shop owner: That gun takes a 14 shot clip. You expecting an army?
    Frank Serpico: No. Just a division.

    It's 70s Pacino, so of course he's very good here. The role is played very straight, with mild outbursts every so often, but the way he conveys his stress is appropriate and effective. I have to comment once again on his wardrobe in this film. I have no problem with it, but I was amused with the amount of different clothing he had for this film.

    Lumet's direction is solid here. Nothing over flashy in anyway. I was actually reminded of the docu-style that the French Connection had, although this film wasn't nearly as gritty. Still, the huge variety of locations in New York managed to give a good, authentic feel to the film, as well as the limited use of scoring.

    Overall a finely made film. Not necessarily one that I feel had many memorable moments in, but a quality performance from Pacino always makes a film watchable.

    Frank Serpico: I'm a marked man in this department. For what?
    District Attorney Tauber: I've already arranged a transfer for ya'.
    Frank Serpico: To where? China?
  • cosmo313
    August 1, 2009
    cosmo313
    Between the first two Godfather films, Pacino took a break and turned in a great performance in this engaging biopic based on the real life story of an honest cop with a thing for the counterculture fighting corruption amonst his own ranks. All of this would be considered cliche ... read moreif this film came out now a days, but back in the 70's that wasn't much of an issue. This film is in the same vein as some of Jack Nicholson's "fighting the establishment" films from the same era. It's good stuff. I really liked the fact that Serpico didn't fit in with cops because he was honest and a hippie (a great look for Pacino), and that the hippies he looked like didn't trust him since he was a cop. It adds a level of human tragedy and alienation to things, but an atmosphere of cool and stylishness as well. It's a bit long, and heavy on dialogue, but it's well written and the acting from Pacino (and everybody) is what really makes the film great. Highly recommended.
  • garyX
    June 16, 2009
    garyX
    Al Pacino stars in a true life story of an honest cop who is stonewalled by his superiors and hated by his peers when he tries to expose the institutionalized corruption of the police department. Pacino puts in a typically strong performance as a man fighting alone against the sy... read morestem, and he and Lumet bring a gritty believability to the proceedings. The supporting characters seemed to flit in and out of the story at random intervals however, which means that Pacino never really gets to share any relationships or dialogue of any real depth leaving it feeling a little dry and uninvolving. I also felt that it concentrated a little too much on his domestic situation which is clearly far less interesting than the action on the streets which combined with the painfully misplaced and corny soundtrack made it feel more like soapy melodrama than a cop drama in places. The final act when the investigation finally starts is worth waiting for, but it does seem a very long time in coming. On the whole a solid, well acted character driven cop film that didn't quite live up to its reputation for me, but worth seeing particularly for Pacino fans.

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Critic Reviews

Jay Cocks
July 26, 2011
Jay Cocks, TIME Magazine

Wonderful potential, and wasted. Serpico has some brutal surface flash and an acetylene performance by Al Pacino in the title role, but its energy is used to dodge all the questions it should have rai... Full Review

Variety Staff
April 9, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Sidney Lumet's direction adeptly combines gritty action and thought-provoking comment. Full Review

Don Druker
March 1, 2007
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

A virtuoso performance by Al Pacino and some expert location work by Sidney Lumet add up to a tour de force genre piece that transcends the supercop conventions to create a moving, engrossing portrait... Full Review

Benjamin Strong
August 3, 2004
Benjamin Strong, Village Voice

Lumet's biopic of Frank Serpico, the virtuous cop who exposed a network of graft in the NYPD, feels depressingly relevant. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A remarkable record of one man's rebellion against the sort of sleaziness and second-rateness that has affected so much American life, from the ingredients of its hamburgers to the ethics of its civil... Full Review

Cole Smithey
December 10, 2010
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

"Serpico" is a candid and gritty police expose film that juxtaposes systematic police graft with the personal toll it takes on the man who attempts to blow the lid on the crooked activities that surro... Full Review

Sean Axmaker
March 29, 2010
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online

... one of the films that brought this new realism to the screen portrait of American cops with its realistic portraits... and systemic failure and flawed, human characters behind the badges. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
March 6, 2009
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Lumet and screenwriters Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler can't do anything but skim rapidly over the surface of their tale. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 9, 2008
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Imbued with mythic and even religious dimensions, Al Pacino's resourceful, Oscar-nominated performance takes Lumet's quinessential 1970s New York film beyond the realm of a cop-corruption drama. Full Review

Kim Newman
April 9, 2008
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

Al Pacino delivers a powerful performance in this compelling biopic of a cop and a city's police force. Full Review

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    • Frank Serpico: What is this for.... For being an honest cop or being stupid enough to get shot in the face.
    • Rubello: What's with the fucking mouse?
    • Frank Serpico: He's my partner. He sniffs out drugs. You know, I just send him through his little hole, he's gone for a while, and then he comes back with the heroin.
    • Rubello: Oh, yeah, I heard of that.
    • Frank Serpico: You heard of that? Yeah.
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  • Other than Dog Day Afternoon, which other film did Al Pacino star in where it was directed by Sidney Lumet?   Answer »
  • undercover police agent frank serpico  Answer »
  • who directed al pacino in 1974 serpico?  Answer »
  • In which film does Al Pacino not play a drug dealer or gangster?  Answer »
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