Movies Worth A Second Look: "Serpico (1973)": The New York Police Then...and Now
"Serpico" is a 1973 Sidney Lumet film with Al Pacino as a young New York City policeman who rises in the ranks from a uniformed patrolman to a plainclothes detective. He has a strong commitment to upholding the law and refuses to be corrupted by the payoffs that his fellow detectives are up to their necks in. Frank's struggle to ferret out the bad apples within the NYPD ( and his frustration at the lack of genuine action by the higher-ups in the police ranks and City Hall) make for a compelling story that is literally as relevant today as it was when I first saw this film forty years ago.
Pacino performance is of course top notch. This guy is not played a s a plaster saint, but as a human being with both fears and courage torn between a desire to protect himself and those he loves from the revenge of crooked detectives and their protectors, and doing the right thing.
I was heartened to read that Frank Serpico not only is still alive and well (having survived a gunshot to the face in a drug raid that ended his police career) but is back in the United States. He came back from his voluntary exile to Europe (to escape retribution from his fellow "brothers in blue") and is counseling and standing up in public with younger law enforcement people fighting the corruption and venal practices of today.
This is a film worth seeking out if you have a DVD or a Netflix account.
I remember seeing Serpico at the Odeon cinema in Birmingham (the same place I saw Bob Dylan about 7 years before)....a good film which makes a good point ...."an honest cop is the most dangerous man in the world" ...or words to that effect. The hope for 'honest cops' only can become a reality when the police are managed by the communities they serve and not the other way around. Serpico and his latter day equivalent are courageous individuals indeed Doug and should be awarded the Bradley Manning medal for bravery in the face of massive corruption. Come the day!
I have to agree with you there, AA. I can only imagine to be a whistle-blower is a lonely and dangerous journey to undertake, especially in a military or para-military hierarchy. In many ways Serpico is a dangerous man because he actually believed in the law...not the system that perpetuates crime by making the police accessories to the ills of a society.
I honestly had not seen the full "Serpico" since I saw it forty years back at the Meridian Quad Theater in San Jose, the same same four-screen multi-plex I saw the Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley documentary "Let the Good Times Roll".
I remember the Serpico movie. Saw it when I was 15 with my boyfriend of the time. I watched it in full Kiwi innocence that police corruption would never happen here, even though it was laready happening though probably not on the Serpic movie scale.
It seems to come in waves here, Iri Ani. Back in the 80's, the Miami, Florida was rife with corruption due to illegal drugs and drug money pouring in from the Caribbean and US drug lords. I gather no place is free of it; wherever there is illicit money, vulnerable neighborhoods and crooked law enforcement it's a tough thing to root out. I have deep respect for all decent and honest law enforcement people.
I remember seeing Serpico at the Odeon cinema in Birmingham (the same place I saw Bob Dylan about 7 years before)....a good film which makes a good point ...."an honest cop is the most dangerous man in the world" ...or words to that effect. The hope for 'honest cops' only can become a reality when the police are managed by the communities they serve and not the other way around. Serpico and his latter day equivalent are courageous individuals indeed Doug and should be awarded the Bradley Manning medal for bravery in the face of massive corruption. Come the day!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you there, AA. I can only imagine to be a whistle-blower is a lonely and dangerous journey to undertake, especially in a military or para-military hierarchy. In many ways Serpico is a dangerous man because he actually believed in the law...not the system that perpetuates crime by making the police accessories to the ills of a society.
DeleteI honestly had not seen the full "Serpico" since I saw it forty years back at the Meridian Quad Theater in San Jose, the same same four-screen multi-plex I saw the Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley documentary "Let the Good Times Roll".
"Come the day" indeed! Thanks for your thoughts.
DeleteI remember the Serpico movie. Saw it when I was 15 with my boyfriend of the time. I watched it in full Kiwi innocence that police corruption would never happen here, even though it was laready happening though probably not on the Serpic movie scale.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to come in waves here, Iri Ani. Back in the 80's, the Miami, Florida was rife with corruption due to illegal drugs and drug money pouring in from the Caribbean and US drug lords. I gather no place is free of it; wherever there is illicit money, vulnerable neighborhoods and crooked law enforcement it's a tough thing to root out. I have deep respect for all decent and honest law enforcement people.
Delete