I read about the movie Serpico on a list of 125 must-see movies on the net. The movie is about a real-life NYPD (New York City Police Department) officer Frank Serpico who went undercover to expose the corruption in the police system. The great Al Pacino plays the titular character, who is an honest police officer in a completely corrupt police force. The movie tells the story of Serpico’s life from the time he joined the force in 1960 to the time he resigned in 1972.
The movie starts in 1972 with Serpico being rushed to hospital after being shot in the face. The story is then told in flashback, starting in 1960. Serpico is an idealistic young new recruit and learns about the corrupt ways of his colleagues on the first day of his job. However Serpico refuses to take bribes and soon becomes the pariah to whole police force. As one of his better meaning colleague tells him: “Frank, let’s face it, who can trust a cop …show more content…
However after many assurances of action against the corrupt for many years, with nothing concrete happening, Serpico starts to realize that his superiors are unwilling to address this problem as they too are complicit in the goings-on.
After exhausting all the possibilities, he realizes that he has no option but to go to the press. The reports in the newspaper cause a public outcry and the Mayor is forced to set up The Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission) to investigate corruption within the NYPD. This further alienates Serpico and nearly everyone turns against him. Serpico is then transferred to the high-risk narcotics department of NYPD. He is shot during a police raid when his fellow officers refuse to help him in apprehending the suspects.
Serpico recovers from his wounds and testifies before the Knapp Commission. He then resigns from the police force and moves to
The movie starts in 1972 with Serpico being rushed to hospital after being shot in the face. The story is then told in flashback, starting in 1960. Serpico is an idealistic young new recruit and learns about the corrupt ways of his colleagues on the first day of his job. However Serpico refuses to take bribes and soon becomes the pariah to whole police force. As one of his better meaning colleague tells him: “Frank, let’s face it, who can trust a cop …show more content…
However after many assurances of action against the corrupt for many years, with nothing concrete happening, Serpico starts to realize that his superiors are unwilling to address this problem as they too are complicit in the goings-on.
After exhausting all the possibilities, he realizes that he has no option but to go to the press. The reports in the newspaper cause a public outcry and the Mayor is forced to set up The Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission) to investigate corruption within the NYPD. This further alienates Serpico and nearly everyone turns against him. Serpico is then transferred to the high-risk narcotics department of NYPD. He is shot during a police raid when his fellow officers refuse to help him in apprehending the suspects.
Serpico recovers from his wounds and testifies before the Knapp Commission. He then resigns from the police force and moves to