Serpico (1973)
Serpico (1973)
1973 was a very strong year for movies. I say
it’s the best year in movies produced in the modern Hollywood system up to
1973. It’s not the best year of the decade (1976 is just fabulous for excellent
movies), but with the likes of American Graffiti, The Sting, and
this movie, Serpico, it’s hard not to get excited about the year of
film in 1973. I’ll say off the bat that Serpico is an
excellent movie. I can hardly call that a surprise given the amount of talent
behind the film. The story, based off real-life events, is very engaging and
its brutally honest. Just like Mean Streets showed,
living in New York City was not exactly all that safe. While Mean Streets covered everyday life in a New York
community, this film covers the police and more specifically, police
corruption. The film shows that pretty much every cop in the NYPD were corrupt
to some degree whether it’s racketeering or paid murder, but one man decided to
show honesty and integrity….and nearly pays with his life. This is a very
powerful theme and it shows why the movie can be labeled as inspiring. It’s
just one of the few things that make this movie a must-see.
This picture takes place in New York City in
the late 1960’s-early 1970’s. Frank Serpico’s (Al Pacino) profession
is a NYPD officer, and his motto is to become a good cop. The problem is that
no one else wants to be a good cop. He refuses to extort money from the
local criminals unlike his colleagues. Because of that, he is alienated
from everyone else on the workforce. He is constantly put in life-threatening scenarios,
and nothing seems to get done when he goes to the highest authorities. He
refuses to be like everyone, despite all the danger, in hopes that one day
corruption will end.
This movie relies upon some heavy acting by Al
Pacino, and he certainly rose to the task. This movie also proved that Pacino
was capable of becoming a powerful leading man. He impressed everyone in The Godfather, but Pacino proves he is no fluke with
his incredibly powerful, believable role as Frank Serpico. I really thought
Pacino was Frank every time he appeared onscreen. I love how Pacino can make
himself disappear in roles so easily, and that’s why he is one of the greatest
actor’s of all-time. I also loved the physical transformation Pacino takes
throughout the film. He gradually grows lots of hair and a beard, and it’s a
very noticeable transformation. I thought that was really cool to point out.
This film was directed by the great Sidney
Lumet. He directed the 1957 classic 12 Angry Men and
that movie kept him on the map. He, once again, brought his master direction
techniques to this film. He was able to get the best out of Pacino and was able
to give the film more of a personality. He definitely tackled the issue of
police corruption very well. Police officers actually said what happened in
this film was an accurate description of what really went on during the police
force, and that’s still a very scary thought.
I also liked the location authenticity of the
movie. This movie was filmed in actual locations of the city, and it felt like
I was in 1973 New York. It’s interesting to see how these movies featuring New
York in the 70’s proves how much the city changed with compared to 2016. That
being said, I always love being in New York; past and present. The film was
filmed in every neighborhood except for Staten Island.
Overall, I really, really liked Serpico. I would rank this film as my favorite film of
1973. I cannot think of a complaint to give the film. It feature solid, fluid
direction by Sidney Lumet. The acting, led by the legendary Al Pacino, is
perfect. I loved the story and the way the tricky issues were handled. It
was shocking to see how bad police corruption got. So bad that they were
willing to kill Frank Serpico just to keep his silence. That scene where there
was a drug bust and his fellow detectives put him into the line of fire was
very saddening and powerful to watch. I also liked the music, which was
composed by Mikis Theodorakis. This movie is a classic and I can easily
recommend it to those who love good movies. If you want to know why Al Pacino
is such a big movie star, just check out Serpico.
My Grade: A+
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