Serpico (1973)
★★★★½ — Serpico (1973)
Serpico is based on Peter Maas's 1973 non-fiction book of the same name, which itself drew on the real-life testimony of NYPD officer Frank Serpico, whose cooperation with the Knapp Commission in 1971 exposed widespread corruption across the New York police force. Sidney Lumet, already a seasoned hand with New York-set drama (12 Angry Men, The Pawnbroker), directed from a screenplay by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler, with Dino De Laurentiis co-producing. The film arrived at a moment when public trust in American institutions was at a particular low, the Watergate hearings running in parallel that same year, and it helped cement the early-1970s cycle of morally ambiguous, city-as-battleground crime pictures that also included The French Connection and Chinatown.
One of Al Pacino's greatest roles. Based on a true story of NY Police corruption. Al Pacino is masterful in this role. Absolutely captivating and powerful performance. It shakes you to the core to think about how corrupt the police were back then (and probably not much has changed).
Rating: ★★★★½ | Year: 1973 | Watched: 2025-06-27
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Sidney Lumet: Dog Day Afternoon (1975) · 12 Angry Men (1957)
More with Al Pacino: Scent of a Woman (1992) · Cruising (1980) · Insomnia (2002) · Scarecrow (1973)
More from the 1970s: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Here and Elsewhere (1976) · Italianamerican (1974) · Punishment Park (1971)
More crime: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Angst (1983) · Stolen Face (1952) · Cairo Station (1958)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
