Review of Serpico (1973) by Rick D — 17 Mar 2011

I was wondering if this movie would suffer in quality to me the same way Carlito's Way did when I watched that recently, but seeing this again after not seeing it for a few years only made it seem better.

This is a Hollywood biopic, so naturally, there are going to be contrived elements implemented to make it an entertaining movie rather than an absolutely true portrayal of a man's life. In fact, this seems tailored to fit Al Pacino's acting strengths, namely loud emotional outbursts.

And that's perfectly okay, because Al Pacino is the master of emotional outbursts. And this movie gives him plenty of opportunities to shout. "I can shout anywhere", he says in one scene. I believe him because it's true. He does shout anywhere, and when he does it, you pay the fuck attention.

Pacino's Serpico is a pissed off dude. Possibly one of the most pissed-off protagonists I've seen in a movie. The poor dude can't catch a break. All he wants to be is an honest cop, but corruption won't let him. It seems like everyone's out to get ole "Paco", and that central frustration and paranoia (throughout the film, he's warned of meeting a bad end for his refusal to accept bribes) give the character the strengths and flaws needed to make it compelling.

I guess the only complaint I could have storytelling wise is the timeframe. The only indication of time passing in this movie is by how much hair Pacino has in a given scene. I had to research the actual Frank Serpico to figure out that this movie takes place over the course of ten-odd years. Otherwise, I'd figure that Serpico's battle was more than half of that time. Realizing that the events portrayed in the film eclipse a decade adds a lot to understanding Serpico's frustration, and I guess I wish that was reflected in a slightly more explicit way.

Pacino is, without a doubt, the main character. There aren't any deurtagonists here, and if there were, I imagine it'd either be Tony Roberts (who I wish there was more of, because he does a great job), or Barbara Eda-Young (whose character isn't nearly developed enough for us to care about her. She's interchangeable with the bitchier female lead). But instead of meaty supporting roles, we get a bunch of memorable smaller roles by some great character acting. The aforementioned Roberts is just one of many excellent roles, and Jack Kehoe, James Tolkan, M. Emmet Walsh, and John Randolph are all awesome.

Sidney Lumet has combined the traditional cop movie (with traditional cop movie action scenes, all rendered beautifully in a post-French Connection gritty style) with the 1970s "American Neo-realist" lonely protagonist film, and as a result, there's a movie that has exciting and engaging action and acting sequences, with all of the realism and pathos you might expect from a film practicing cinema vertie. There aren't too many elements here that seem fake, and none of the movies locations or actors seem like they were manufactured. It all seems like it's from the gritty mean streets of New York.

This is one of my favorite films of all time, and Pacino's performance is an absolute powerhouse. You may think his screaming matches are over the top and border scenery chewing, but it's actually because he's infused his character with so much pent-up rage, that the violent screams he emits seem not only cathartic for Pacino, but for the character himself. It's as if Pacino is literally giving Serpico the voice he didn't (and couldn't) have in real life.

It's excellent. You should be watching it now.