Serpico (1973)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Peter Maas (book)
Waldo Salt (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 maaliskuu 1974 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover | Corruption | 1960s | Hippie | Policeman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Officer Frank Serpico
John Randolph	...	Chief Sidney Green
Jack Kehoe	...	Tom Keough
Biff McGuire	...	Capt. Insp. McClain
Barbara Eda-Young	...	Laurie
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Leslie Lane
Tony Roberts	...	Bob Blair
John Medici	...	Pasquale
Allan Rich	...	Dist. Atty. Herman Tauber
Norman Ornellas	...	Don Rubello
Edward Grover	...	Insp. Lombardo (as Ed Grover)
Albert Henderson	...	Peluce (as Al Henderson)
Hank Garrett	...	Malone
Damien Leake	...	Joey
Joseph Bova	...	Potts (as Joe Bova)
Gene Gross	...	Capt. Tolkin
John Stewart	...	Waterman
Woodie King Jr.	...	Larry (as Woodie King)
James Tolkan	...	Lt. Steiger (as James Tolkin)
Ed Crowley	...	Barto
Bernard Barrow	...	Insp. Roy Palmer
Sal Carollo	...	Mr. Serpico
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Serpico
Nathan George	...	Lt. Nate Smith
Gus Fleming	...	Dr. Metz
Richard Foronjy	...	Rudy Corsaro
Alan North	...	Brown
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Jerry Berman
John McQuade	...	Insp. Kellogg
Ted Beniades	...	Al Sarno
John Lehne	...	Insp. Gilbert
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Chief Gallagher
George Ede	...	Deputy Chief Insp. Daley
Charles White	...	Commissioner Delaney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
F. Murray Abraham	...	Detective partner (uncredited)
Don Billett	...	Detective threatening Serpico (uncredited)
Raleigh Bond	...	(uncredited)
John Brandon	...	Police lieutenant (uncredited)
James Bulleit	...	Det. Styles (uncredited)
Roy Cheverie	...	Cop (uncredited)
Sam Coppola	...	Cop (uncredited)
Marjorie Eliot	...	Rape Victim (uncredited)
René Enríquez	...	Cervantes teacher (uncredited)
Frank Gio	...	Police lieutenant (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	Cop (uncredited)
Paul E. Guskin	...	Police Academy classmate (uncredited)
Judd Hirsch	...	Cop (uncredited)
Richard Kuss	...	Detective (uncredited)
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Cop (uncredited)
George Loros	...	Det. Glover (uncredited)
Kenneth McMillan	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Stephen Pearlman	...	Desk sergeant (uncredited)
Tim Pelt	...	Black hood (uncredited)
William Pelt	...	Black hood (uncredited)
Jay Rasumny	...	Television cameraman (uncredited)
Jaime Sánchez	...	Cop (uncredited)
Franklin Scott	...	Black prisoner (uncredited)
Tom Signorelli	...	Bookmaker (uncredited)
Ben Slack	...	Detective sitting at desk (uncredited)
Tracey Walter	...	Street Urchin (uncredited)
Mary Louise Weller	...	Lisa - girl at party (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Peter Maas		(book)
Waldo Salt		(screenplay) and
Norman Wexler		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Roger M. Rothstein	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mikis Theodorakis

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz

Film Editing by
Dede Allen
Richard Marks		(co-editor)

Casting by
Michael Chinich
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Charles Bailey

Art Direction by
Douglas Higgins

Set Decoration by
Thomas H. Wright

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phillip Leto)
Reginald Tackley	....	makeup artist (as Redge Tackley)
Michael R. Thomas	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Martin Danzig	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director
Alan Hopkins	....	assistant director

Art Department
Leslie Bloom	....	set dresser (as Les Bloom)
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master (as Joe Caracciolo)
Jack Hughes	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Edward Beyer	....	sound editor
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor (as John J. Fitzstephens)
Robert M. Reitano	....	sound editor (as Robert Reitano)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator
James Sabat	....	sound mixer (as James J. Sabat)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)
Maurice Schell	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator (as Louis Barlia)
Charles Kolb	....	key grip
Willie Meyerhoff	....	gaffer (as Willy Meyerhoff)
Joseph Di Pasquale	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clifford Capone	....	wardrobe (as Clifford C. Capone)

Editorial Department
Ronald Roose	....	assistant editor
Angelo Corrao	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob James	....	conductor
Bob James	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Raymond Hartwick	....	transportation gaffer

Other crew
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor (as B.J. Bachman)

Production Companies

• Artists Entertainment Complex
• Produzioni De Laurentiis International Manufacturing Company

Distributors

• CIC (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location services
• Solters, Sabinson, Roskin  production publicity
• Talent Services Associates Inc.  extras casting

Runtime:

129 min | Spain:113 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Artists Entertainment Complex

Trivia:

The film was shot in reverse order. Al Pacino began with long hair and a beard, then for each scene, his hair and beard were trimmed bit by bit until he became clean-cut.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Insp. Kellogg: [discussing the bribe money while eating lobster] Things like this were common practice in the bad old days. Hard to believe it's still going on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Street Kings (2008)

Realistic movie with a gripping and gritty story.

The movie tells the true story of Frank 'Paco' Serpico who was about the only honest cop of the entire New York police department at his time. The movie provides a realistic view in the corrupt and tough world of the New York police and tells the story of Serpico in an intriguing and realistic, perhaps maybe even documentary like way.

"Serpico" is a movie with a typical fantastic '70's atmosphere and it's a movie that still holds up today. This is mainly thanks to the fantastic story of the movie and the way it is told. Yep, they really don't make movies like this anymore. I think "Serpico" may already be regarded as a 'classic'.

Actually the story itself or concept isn't that terribly original compared to many other movies from the same period. Still this movie distinct itself from most of those movies, thanks to the perfect directing from Sidney Lumet. Also Pacino's acting and the fact that his movie is based on a true story makes this movie better than most others. Lumet and Pacino continued working together and later made the even better "Dog Day Afternoon" together.

But fair is fair, even though Pacino is fantastic, this is far from his best role. The 'explosion' he later used for his characters in movies is still missing here and it seems like he's holding back. I also think that his Oscar nomination he deserved for this movie was also a bit too much credit for him. Pacino was just a young beginning actor at the time (He had just done his first big role and movie; "The Godfather".) and he obviously had still a lot of learning to do.

The rest of the cast consists out of unknown actors (with the exception of apparently Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in one of his first small movie roles, to be honest I didn't even noticed him.) but for a movie like this a cast with unknown actors work really well. It keeps the focus on the movie's its intriguing story better.

Apparently there is a lot of hate for it but I really liked the musical score by Mikis Theodorakis. It was really fitting with the movie its atmosphere.

All in all this is a already 'classic' typical '70's cop flick in the style of, for instance "The French Connection" and is an absolute must see.

9/10