“All my life I wanted to be a cop, you know. It’s like I can remember nothing else. I remember this one time somethin’ happened. A domestic argument or somethin’. Somebody stabbed somebody or somethin’. And — there was this crowd around this tenement. I must have been nine, ten years old. I was this big. I went over to see what was going on. I noticed the red light — goin’ around and around, all these people, and I couldn’t see. And I kept saying, ‘Do you know what’s goin’ on? Do you know?’ Nobody knew. It was like a big mystery behind that — that crowd there. All of a sudden, the crowd just parted. Like the Red Sea, you see? And there were these guys in blue, and I said, ‘They know.’ What do they know? What do they know?”
Frank Serpico was a New York City cop in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Thanks to the film, everyone knows who he is, and they also know about his struggle as an honest man in a hornet’s nest of corruption. His honest stand saw him a pariah and almost killed when his fellow officers stood by as he was shot in the face. He would eventually recover and testify before the famous Knapp Commission that investigated the systemic corruption inside the NYPD. If you know his story, it’s because of this film, because that’s the plot, pure and simple. What isn’t so pure and simple is the inspired performance by Al Pacino, still a relative unknown, who had just finished The Godfather but hadn’t really had a lead role up to this point. Serpico changed all of that. Pacino was on a rocket ship to stardom, and this film as much as The Godfather started the whole thing going.
Within weeks of Frank Serpico’s testimony at the Knapp Commission, writer Peter Maas wrote a non-fiction book on the man’s story. It wasn’t even a year from these events and the film was already in production. If you saw it in its original release, New York City was still reeling from the events. Even with today’s technology it’s rare for a film, particularly one this good, to cover a recent event so quickly. This was the original “ripped from the headlines” film, and it inspired many copycats and a Serpico television series which lasted just a season. David Birney played the titular character, but he had no chance given the performance that Pacino gave. Maas was reluctant to sell the film rights because he was unhappy with the way Hollywood treated source material. He ended up doing a deal with Dino De Laurentis, because he was the only one who saw the potential in his previous book and took a chance on him. That book was The Valachi Papers, and it worked out well for everyone involved.
The film was originally set to be directed by John G Avildson as a vehicle for Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Before it got to the point of casting the actors, Avildson was fired by producer Martin Bregman because of the locations Avildson wanted to use and a general disagreement on the vision for the film. It didn’t hurt the director, who went on a couple of years later to direct Rocky. For Redford and Newman, they ended up doing The Sting that year. It was a happy turn of events for all concerned, and Serpico got Sidney Lumet, who created nothing short of a masterpiece. He brought out the best in Pacino, and along with the cinematography of Arthur J. Onitz the film has the authenticity of an almost documentary feel. This would also be the first film for Pacino and Bregman working together. The duo would go on to collaborate on Scarface, Sea Of Love, and Carlito’s Way. A pretty good resume for anyone.
Pacino started hanging out with Frank Serpico, even inviting him to stay at his house. He wanted to study the man he was about to play. But it backfired, at least for Serpico, when production started Lumet and Pacino basically gave him the brush-off and he wasn’t allowed near the production. Lumet even admits they got him to think he was going to be a part of this world and become friends with Pacino and Lumet, and they dropped the hammer when they no longer needed him.
There are a couple of young actors to look for. This was Judd Hirsch’s second ever appearance as a cop in one short scene. It was also an early small part for F. Murray Abraham. Both roles are uncredited as are appearances by Quincy’s Val Bisoglio and Tony Lo Bianco of The French Connection fame.
Video
Serpico is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The ultra-high-definition image presentation is arrived at with an HEVC codec at an average of 90 mbps. The film was shot on 35mm so is native 4K. The film retains that nice element of grain without some of the digital noise that often results. While I did notice some black crush, there was still quite a bit of shadow detail, and it wasn’t really a distraction, just a slight disappointment. The natural colors are reference and maintain the film stock attributes of the time. The tendency toward a green tint from the earlier Blu-ray is gone here. Close-ups are quite nicely done. Pacino’s facial hair and brilliant expressions are wonderful to behold. The film is better in brighter scenes, and the detail on a couple of long shots tend to lose something. The grit of the film is retained throughout. This should rather nicely reproduce the original box office experience.
Audio
You can have the original mono presentation or a fuller DTS-HD MA 5.1 experience. I chose the 5.1 not because I was hoping for a huge surround experience. That would not be true to the film. What you get is merely a fuller sound with a little bit more bottom to strengthen the depth of even the dialog. That’s really all that is served here. There isn’t a ton of action, and the story is in the details of that dialog.
Special Features
The extras are found on the Blu-ray copy of the film.
Sidney Lumet – Cineaste New York: (30:22) Lumet talks about his passion for the materials and for the New York City locations.
Looking For Al Pacino: (30:37) This is an examination of Pacino’s process. It’s mostly led by Bregman, who worked with Pacino often. I wish Pacino himself had participated, but he rarely does.
Serpico From Real To Reel: (9:58) Mostly a look at the real Serpico and translating that to the film.
Inside Serpico: (12:55) This is more the traditional behind-the-scenes look. Lumet and Bregman provide their own insights.
Serpico Favorite Moments: (2:38) Bregman and Lumet share their favorite scenes from the film.
Final Thoughts:
It’s a gritty and visceral film that deserved the upgrade to a UHD/4K release. The film was pretty much snubbed at the Oscars. Pacino received a nomination, as did the script, but that was it, and no wins. They were going up against The Sting and The Exorcist, and that’s pretty stiff competition, to be sure. Pacino would go on to get his Oscar for Scent Of A Woman, but this was just the start. In a span of only a couple of years Pacino made Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather Part II (this time as the star) and …And Justice For All. “That’s just for openers.”
