In 1970, police officer Frank Serpico electrified the Knapp Commission investigating the New York City Police Department by testifying that there were as many cops taking payoffs as there were crooks. Peter Maas's biography of Serpico formed the basis of the script by Waldo Salt (MIDNIGHT
COWBOY) and Norman Wexler (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER), and Al Pacino is the title character, an honest cop who refuses to go on the take.
Surrounded by corruption, Frank Serpico is distrusted and harrassed by fellow officers, who suspect him both for his honesty and for his countercultural lifestyle. When the double-dealing and persecution become too much, he tries to inform police...
Released:
1973
Rated:
R
Length:
129 mins