Serpico (1973)

Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring Al Pacino, Tony Roberts, Jack Kehoe, John Randolph, Barbara Eda-Young, Biff McGuire, Cornelia Sharpe, Edward Grover, Albert Henderson, Joseph Bova, Woody King Jr., Mildred Clinton. [R]

Gritty, riveting story of Frank Serpico (Pacino), a New York police officer who grows increasingly frustrated, even disillusioned, by rampant neglect and corruption within the department. His refusal to take payoffs and “play along” with his unscrupulous brothers-in-arms earns him few reliable friends and countless enemies, any number of which would like to see him silenced for good. Flavorful use of locations throughout several different NYC boroughs and Pacino’s dynamite portrayal highlight this intense document, never for a moment feeling dated (besides the fashion statements). The sketchy subjects of his personal life don’t provide much (only marginal insight into what drove his righteous integrity), but Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler’s script never simplifies his character as an empty crusader, seeing him instead as a man who’d rather not ruffle feathers but can’t sacrifice his soul by ignoring all that he sees and feels. Look for Judd Hirsch as a cop in the hospital scene with Serpico’s parents; M. Emmet Walsh and F. Murray Abraham also have small roles.

89/100