Product Description

True-life story of a non-conformist undercover New York cop whose techniques isolate him from the rest of the force.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 19-AUG-2003
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5781 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2002-12-03
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 130 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Tony Manero (John Travolta) in Saturday Night Fever and Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) in Boogie Nights have one major thing in common: They both have posters of Al Pacino as Serpico on their bedroom walls. As the real-life NYPD detective whose integrity cost him virtually everything (and almost cost him his life), Pacino became one of the icons of gritty, realistic 1970s filmmaking. Released in 1973, between the first two Godfather movies, this is the true story of Frank Serpico, a long-haired, idealistic, iconoclastic cop who reluctantly goes undercover to investigate dirty colleagues who are on the take. This is one of the definitive Pacino performances, along with his role as Michael Corleone in the Godfather saga, and Sonny the bungling bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon (which reunited him with his Serpico director, Sidney Lumet)--and Pacino was nominated for a best actor Oscar for all of them (although he wouldn't actually win until 1992's Scent of a Woman). --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

High Praise? read on...
Seeing this film was the major decision-making factor in my becoming a police officer some 23+ years ago. What greater compliment could I pay?

Assuming that the real Frank Serpico was accurately depicted, my estimation of that man has, if anything, doubled as a result of my years as a cop, trying in my own way to follow in those grand footsteps. Pacino simply nails the walking-on-eggshells, lone-wolf, and frankly courageous aspects of the character. The perfectly realised portrayal of the concommitant self-destructive turmoil which poisons Serpicos personal relationships as an almost inevitable result, should have garnered him with the Best Actor Oscar that year. A young and brilliant Pacino at his stone-best before he started caricaturising himself.

Lumet at his zenith. If you love Lumets directing, please seek out the hidden gem "Lovin' Molly" from about circa 1974 starring Blythe Danner, Anthony Hopkins and Beau Bridges. Trust me, it will affect you.

'Serpico' has lost none of it's impact despite being close to 30 years old. Please rent it, buy it, or, if you are truly brave, live it.

(The score and cinematography are also excellent. And the cardboard box that the videotape comes in makes an excellent source of dietary fibre.)

Honesty Is the Best Policy - Or Is It?
For many viewers of my generation, the definitive Al Pacino performance is the Cuban drug lord Tony Montana in Brian DePalma's 1983 "Scarface" ("Say 'allo to muh lil' friend!"). But for me, the cream of Pacino's crop was in the 1970s, and among his great performances in that decade was in the 1973 movie "Serpico." In this feature directed by Sidney Lumet (who also directed another Pacino film, 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon"), Al plays a cop who joins the force with the best of intentions. He's honest, sincere, and treats criminal suspects impartially--qualities that should enable an officer to advance in his field. Instead, Frank's kindness and humanity make him an object of scorn and contempt among his peers, who engage in shady dealings and suspicious activity. Frank's job ultimately takes a toll on his life, both professionally and romantically, and by the end of the movie, he's transformed from an eager-to-please cop to a jaded officer. The movie is an effective and scathing commentary on police corruption, and it earned Pacino his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (he was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 1972's "The Godfather"). The DVD offers a decent picture and surround sound for a movie of this age, and the extras include retrospective interviews with the filmmakers. I was disappointed that Pacino isn't featured in any of these interviews, but aside from that, I thought they were overall informative. I'd hesitate to call "Serpico" a classic, but it's a fine and gritty drama that has an award-calibre performance by Pacino.

Very compelling story.
The story of Frank Serpico, an honest Nyc cop, is one of the most compelling police movies ever made. Al Pacino gives the character a lot of class and cool. Serpico is an easy-going guy with very clear morals about what's right and what's wrong. As he moves from precinct to precinct in dire hope of finding an honest place to work, all he finds are more and more corrupt cops...and it seems to be driving him insane both morally, and insane because the cops aren't comfortable with cops who don't take money. The film does a great job of displaying how the corruption is corrosive and unjust to the people of our country...but esp. interesting is that this wonderfully directed Sidney Lumet film is really very much like a suspense adventure chase...but at a much slower speed in which you can watch as things crumble and go to pot. Pacino plays the role in an understated manner...perhaps due to his knowledge of the real Frank Serpico, or maybe a creative choice. Either way, it's not his usual boisterous way...no crooked looks, no playful grins, etc. You'll forget Pacino is in this character. That Academy is worthless for not handing out an Oscar for this or Scarface or for Godfather I or II...or Dog Day Afternoon or Glengarry Glen Ross.