Serpico (Film Review)

1973 Paramount Pictures
Directed by: Sidney Lumet; Written by: Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler
Starring: Al Pacino
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 130 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 9/10

Fresh out of the academy, young Frank Serpico can't wait to get to work as a New York City police officer. His enthusiasm seems to grate against that of his colleagues, who just seem to want to do the least amount of work as possible. "So what if there's a rape attempt happening a block over and no one else is close. It's not on our beat." Serpico is having none of it, going above and beyond the call of duty. Meanwhile, as he goes from a uniformed to a plainclothes officer, he's finding that most of his co-workers are not just negligent, but on the take, skimming gambling money on the side, and in disbelief that Serpico doesn't want to get in on the action.
Serpico himself can't believe he's seemingly the only honest cop in New York. His coworkers are pressuring him to go dirty, but he just wants to do his job, well and honestly. Serpico's personal life begins to suffer, he can't hold down a relationship, he takes his stress out on his loved ones. When the path of whistleblower presents itself, Serpico is high on the possible results, but not so high on his colleagues turning on him, or allowing him to get killed on the job. What's an honest Frank to do?
Sidnet Lumet's adaptation of Peter Maas' Frank Serpico biography plays it completely straight. After all, the real-life details here are nearly unbelievable--there's no need for artistic augmentation. Instead, Lumet wisely lets Al Pacino's breakout passionate performance do the heavy-lifting. This is an intense Pacino, but not the stereotypical "Hoo-ah" scenery-chewing Pacino of the 90's. The fury is mostly in his eyes, until Serpico is pushed to the edge, and absolutely cannot take it anymore. Meanwhile, Lumet's camera simply presents the situation clearly, with as little editorializing or fuss as possible. The approach works, with this slow-burn Pacino acting against the character of a grimy, gritty, slime-caked early 70's New York, that doesn't need any sort of grey or blue filter to feel authentically oppressive. With the storytelling in Lumet's capable hands, and the film on Pacino's back, the weight never falters, and the moral of the story carries on through time--power corrupts, and the corrupt won't come to justice unless the just act.