IMDb plot summary: An honest New York cop named Frank Serpico blows the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.
Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, and Biff McGuire.
This is definitely an interesting watch in the 2020, as questions of bad police behavior are very much on the public's minds. The film does a great job of showing Serpico's frustration with how deeply embedded this corruption is at every level. I found myself especially moved by one of the scenes where he talks to his girlfriend about why he became a police officer in the first place, and how those dreams of helping people are being dashed as he sees how willing everyone is to do what's best for themselves, not the community. There are also some chilling early scenes where he is flat-out asked to place the wellbeing of his police colleagues ahead of his own sense of personal justice, and they aren't pleased when he doesn't give them the answer they want. It's a little discouraging to see we're still fighting these battles on so many levels, but it's definitely an interesting watch because of that.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Serpico > High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Serpico < Chronicle
Serpico < Ramona and Beezus
Serpico > I Love You, Man
Serpico < Never a Dull Moment
Serpico > State and Main
Serpico > The Sword in the Stone
Serpico < Children of Paradise
Serpico > Trading Places
Serpico > The Sea Gull
Serpico > Ratatouille
Final spot: #1353 out of 3296, or 59%.
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