Serpico

Serpico and Lombardo rapidly descend a shaky metal fire escape system without making a sound or alerting the lookout man, who only notices them when they fall to the pavement beside him.

As Frank Serpico is driving across the bridge in his Studebaker Lark to report for his first posting as a patrolman in 1960, many of the cars in the background are models from the mid-1960's to early 1970's.

(This is true in many of the early street scenes as well.

) As the cops are monitoring the drug dealer's apartment near the end of the movie, there is a French Renault Dauphine parked in the front of the building.

The Dauphine disappears after Frank enters the building.

The gray car parked across the sidewalk on the other side of the street disappears as well, once the police bust the 2 users leaving the building.

Serpico was shot in his face and operated on.

He subsequently wakes up after the operation with his beard intact.

The hospital would have shaved it to cure the injuries caused by a bullet trespassing his cheek.

In the opening sequence of the movie that shows Serpico having been shot, it is raining heavily while he is being rushed to the hospital in the police cruiser.

Towards the end of the movie where this sequence of events picks up again, it is not raining.

During the shooting gallery scene, Frank and a few other cops are practicing their marksmanship.

All the bays are full except for bay two, which has the shooters table up, to allow access to the gallery itself.

In the reverse scene, the table is down.

Near the end of the film, when Serpico is firing his high capacity semi-automatic pistol at the firing range, we neither see nor hear any empty shell cases being ejected from the gun after each shot.

When Leslie tells Serpico that she loves him at the party, her lips aren't moving.

This film is based on a book by Peter Maas, it tells the true story of cop Frank Serpico and how he exposed corruption amongst members of the New York Police Department. I did see it a lot of years ago but couldn't appreciate then just what a very good film it is.

Al Pacino gives an excellent performance as Frank Serpico,an oddball undercover policeman in New York who refused to take any bribes or kickbacks like everyone in the department does. This at first makes them suspicious of Frank, but over time, it turns to open hostility which forces Serpico to go to higher authorities to expose the corruption, but becoming a whistle blower comes at a high price, as he is abandoned in a dangerous situation, resulting in him being shot, and eventually leaving the force, and going into exile.

It is so inspiring to see a film about a police officer who fights against the corruption in the system without getting his own hands dirty. I've seen films and TV shows about undercover officers who want to bring down the bad cops, but they always have to become one to make that happen.

"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.

My Rating : 8/10Al Pacino knows characters, people, their psychological quirks, the inner drama within said characters and people and with 'Serpico' he brings a true story to cinematic fruition in a magnificent bold way only he can.Watching 'Serpico' is dramatic, depressing yet powerful thanks to Pacino's honest portrayal of a real-life hero who over 12 years builds a case for police corruption in New York city by being a plainclothes cop.

I understand they wanted to make a film about the well known whistle blower. But is this a story that really needed to be told?

Serpico is a great drama carrying a strong performance by Al Pacino. In this movie almost every cop is a crook helping mob criminals, drug dealers or robbers.

... it's a very bland film.

Serpico is an easy film to appreciate given its attention to detail and gripping narrative. Films based around people's lives usually follow the same formula, in that we see the protagonist grow and gradually change given the conflict they are forced to face.