Serpico – Review

25th February 2014

The first time Al Pacino played a police officer! With a beard no less!

There once were a time when Al Pacino starred in films and you didn’t automatically think of shouting something along the gravely lines of “GAAAAAAAAA you fuck!”. No there was a time was a time when Mr. Pacino was more softly spoken and sounded like young Edward G. Robinson crossed with a duck.

Serpico saw him perhaps at his softest spoken and showed the first few signs of his later, famous angry growl. With a beard no less. His first major film after the success of The Godfather, Serpico sees Pacino star as the titular honest cop trying to highlight the corruption inherent in the New York Police department in the 1960s. Tracing Officer Serpico’s life over twelve years we see him come up as a rookie, to an undercover on the streets to an undercover in his own department. Fighting against his contemporaries and superiors along the way, he wages an almost-one-man-crusade against the corrupt system.

All ready well-established with gritty and grim features Sidney Lumet was a fine last minute choice (after John G. Avildsen) dropped out. Shot entirely on location around all of New York city it feels as though no stone in the city is left un-turned as we’re lead down labyrinths of dirty alleyways and shadowy apartment blocks. The only real refuge ever seems to come from Serpico’s cozily appointed flat complete with fluffy Dulex dog. Showing the absolute struggle that Frank Serpico went through to get the truth out is an often infuriating experience. This is a very talky film. Many discussions had at tables and chairs of varying settings. But always compelling. Pacino moves seamlessly from one year to the next. To a different table and chair set up. To a new beard and hair length. The score is a bit odd at times. Sounding as though we should be in a slapstick comedy involving the Dolmio Italian Puppets, a couple of supporting actors here and there are a bit flat but Serpico holds up remarkably well. Despite there being a wealth of police procedural dramas and Pacino seemingly playing a cop in every other film these days it still impresses both as a piece of original work and a performance.

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