Frank Serpico

In this documentary we see an aging Frank Serpico, former NYPD police officer, relive his experiences as a Police Officer in New York City during a period when corruption was rampant in the department, and crime was high. In viewing this documentary one would get the most out of it by reading the book and watching the movie Serpico as well. If you are a history of public administration student, or are interested in politics, I recommend watching video of the Knapp Commission which was formed by Mayor John Lindsey to look into police corruption in the department. This documentary is slow and at times does not seem to follow a logical script, but it is valuable given the subject at hand. I think one of Serpico's greatest challenge is living up to Al Pacino's performance.

Greetings again from the darkness. Deciding whether a whistleblower is a hero or a "rat" usually depends on which side of the issue you fall. The line is not quite so clear in the case of Frank Serpico, the New York cop who exposed massive corruption in that city's police department in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Of course the crooked cops vilify him as a rat, but even the good cops are divided … some believing a cop should never break ranks and go against another cop.

After testifying in 1972, Frank Serpico left it all behind (spending time in Holland). It's now 45 years later, and director Antonino D'Ambrosio allows him to tell his own story directly to the camera. If you have seen the 1973 film SERPICO (directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino), you will recognize some of the referenced stories and situations, and realize how closely the movie followed the Peter Maas book. Despite his theatrical nature – he seems to be a thespian at heart – Mr. Serpico is so committed to truth that we find it difficult to question much of what he says. This is a man that yelled "cut" during the filming of a scene in the movie … he claims the events depicted in the scene never happened, so they shouldn't be part of the movie. Yes, he was then banned from the set.

Serpico's stories are irresistible and we are captivated by the charm and personality of the now 81 year old who seems both at peace with the past, and crystal clear on what it has meant to his life. There can be a fine line between hero and villain, and sometimes the legend holds up when the facts are known. Through the years, Serpico has remained true to his ideals … the same ideals that were present when he was a kid working at his immigrant father's shoe shine store.

The film's presentation is terrific as Serpico takes us on a tour of that old family business (now a diner), his childhood home, and old Greenwich Village apartment. He then meets up with Arthur Cesare, one of his partners that fateful night of February 3, 1971. A drug bust resulted in Frank being shot in the face and leading to questions of a set-up and slow police response. These are straight talking New Yorkers who uncharacteristically dance around the topic, leading us to believe there is something to the rumor. It's a powerful segment.

The clips and photographs take us back to that era, and there are interviews from neighbors, friends, partners, Ramsey Clark (his attorney), journalists, writers, and other cops. It seems clear that payoffs were "part of the scene", and that some cops were simply too afraid to not go along. We see the distinctive New York magazine cover showing Serpico's skull with the bullet visible in the x-ray. Actor John Turturro describes him as an inspiration, while others state Serpico suffers from PTSD (who could blame him?).

"Never run when you're right." That's the fatherly advice Frank says he got from his father, and what we see on screen is a man who refused to accept the corruption of an institution he believed should be above it all. He accepts the hate from those who see him as anything but true blue, and also refuses to see himself as the hero who stood up when someone needed to. On what side of the line do you fall?

This film kind of assumes the viewer has at least some familiarity with what Frank Serpico is known for: Instead, it's more interested in painting a picture of *who* he is. Lots of scenes show Serpico, a lanky and animated guy in his early 80s, vividly recounting his experiences on prostitution stings, working as a plainclothes cop, and then eventually being transferred to the narcotics division. He speaks of his family and their working-class Italian background, along with the pressure he faced to stay silent in the face of widespread bribery and corruption in the NYPD in the '70s.

The famous incident where he was shot and received little backup (it was suspiciously only called in by a civilian as a 10-10 - "possible crime" - rather than by a fellow officer as a more serious 10-13 - "assist patrolman") is also discussed.

The film flatters and is very much in awe of him; if you hate Serpico for whatever reason then there's really no reason for you to watch this.

Still, the film does attempt to address some of the knee-jerk criticisms ("he's a rat," etc.) mostly by way of Arthur Cesare. He's a retired detective and one-time partner of Serpico's in the narcotics division; he criticizes Serpico to his face for going after the little guys instead of the big bosses who enabled the corrupt behavior which, he also admits, was rampant in the '70s. The film is quick to point out that, as reiterated in the Knapp Commission, Serpico didn't want to wear a wire to record conversations with patrolmen - he too mainly wanted the upper-level rotten apples.

"Get the bosses," Cesare admonishes. "Because without their okay, it will not happen."

"How do you lock up the boss? How do you go after these guys?" Serpico asks.

After a long pause, Cesare says he doesn't know. "I didn't even try," he admits.

I wanted more voices like Cesare's in the film - real cops, retired or not, who disagree with Serpico or even outright hate him. It would've given the film a chance to respond to some of their criticisms, most of which seem to crumble under the harsh light of scrutiny.

The film winds down with some info about the production of the famous "Serpico" movie starring Al Pacino and directed by Sidney Lumet; the real-life Serpico clashed with the director and was uninvited from the set (John Avildsen was going to direct but was apparently let go by the studio before production got underway).

Ultimately the film paints a picture of a regular, working-class guy with some hippie tendencies (Serpico is big into zen) who regarded any semblance of corruption in the force as a personal affront to his sense of morality. The film sees him as almost Christ-like in his ordinariness, though Serpico himself admits he's kind of eccentric.

I saw him as a good guy who, while he did cash in on his fame, is still important in the annals of police history for the anti-corruption work he did.

This documentary could've been more incisive, but it's still pretty good. Worth a watch!

I cannot believe that there are only 4 reviews here a year after this landmark film came to be. I watched it on DVD, ironically only after the love of my life suggested I should after she had. Watching it, I cannot believe that there are reviews here which still carry the debate whether Serpico was a 'rat' or actually a rare man who knew and knows what morality is.

In time I hope to buy this DVD. That is because the message inside it, from Serpico's own mouth, applies across the board, not just to cops. Elected officials are to use our selection of them to lead, not rule. Lawyers are to use their position to uphold principled justice, not advance their positions over their own duty to the law, as a protectorate of rights and justice.

The whole of this planet's citizenry should sit down and watch this documentary. They should then ask what is the disease in our society that allows Donald Trump to declare that his position makes him above all laws, international and otherwise.

Near the end of this movie, Serpico insinuates what I loosely use in this title. However, he nails it on the head when he also suggests that the law is required to be applied in a manner where we are all equals, cop or not.

Others want to debate whether this film settles the issue that Serpico acted properly when becoming a singularly brave man who dared to stand up against corruption? Let them. When they do, they miss the fact that it is men like this to whom statues should be built instead of this imposed stupidity that stature in society, that is the wealth achieved, is a measure of modern morality. Serpico's simple approach to life and the value of this film is that both confirm that, despite their faults, it takes men like Serpico to define what moral, not perfect, behaviour truly is

I'm a huge fan of "Serpico" and so I was really looking forward to seeing this documentary. Frank Serpico is in his 80s now so it's beneficial that he's been given such a chance to make a final record. That said, I wish the show had more about Serpico talking about his career and not so much padding. Much time is spent with Serpico checking out old places from his life, the location of his father's shoe repair shop (now an eatery), his childhood home (which seemed to have occupants and at the same time looked like it had fallen apart). The most interesting place he re-visits is of course the building in Brooklyn where he was shot in the face.

One thing that becomes evident is that even in his 80s, Serpico suffers from some degree of PTSD, not just from his shooting, but from the ordeal he had to go through as a pariah in the NYPD. The man's a born storyteller but the documentary doesn't seem to take full advantage of that. He's also an extremely private man who went into a self-imposed exile to Switzerland and Holland for over a decade after he left the NYPD. Very little of the story touches on that.