10 Crime Films Based On Real Events
7. Serpico Is All About Undercover Cop Frank Serpico
Sidney Lumet revives noir in his 1973 true crime classic Serpico, starring Al Pacino as NYPD officer Frank Serpico who went undercover to expose corruption within the police force.
Serpico is one of a collection of cop films that came in the wake of the Vietnam War when Hollywood set its sights on capturing the Mavericks of the United States. Focussing around the whistleblower, Serpico is incredibly gritty, it provided an alternative to the officers of The French Connection and Dirty Harry, and still stands out as one of the best movies of the 1980s.
Pacino plays an emerging hero, a misfit and a broken man. He’s isolated from his fellow officers due to his undercover mission and the film depicts an incredibly accurate representation of Frank Serpico’s real story. The film matches up with both Peter Maas’ Frank Serpico book as well as the more recent documentary of the same name.
Frank Serpico’s police reform still stands as an iconic moment in history and Lumet recreates it with passion and honesty, showcasing both tragedy and cynicism in equal measure. Serpico is an inspiring, essential watch.