Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Serpico 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 18, 2023

Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" (1973) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; archival programs; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The film begins with the end -- we see Frank Serpico (Al Pacino, Scarface) being shot in the face and rushed into a New York City hospital. The news spreads like fire and soon many of his friends and colleagues gather to find out from the doctors whether he will live.

Now, we go back. We see Serpico graduating from the Police Academy and reporting for duty. It takes time for him to get used to the routine, but he is happy. Being a cop is what he has been dreaming of his entire life.

Then come the disappointments -- calls for help are ignored, people are hurt for no good reason, and envelopes full of cash are handed out to cops to mind their own business. This is not why Serpico wanted to be a cop. When his first envelope arrives, he refuses it.

The other guys in the department are unsure what to think of Serpico. Perhaps he just needs more time to get used to how things are done, realize what is expected of him, relax and learn to claim his share. Serpico is new, they conclude, that’s all.

Meanwhile, Serpico meets Leslie (Cornelia Sharpe, Open Season). She likes the arts, ballet in particular. She has never dated a cop before and Serpico certainly does not look like one. Serpico sees in her what all the other men she has been with could not, so he could be the special one. But Serpico reveals to her that he is not ready to commit and she walks away. Shortly after, he meets Laurie (Barbara Eda-Young, Talk to Me).

Eventually, some of the guys in the department lose patience and confront Serpico. They want to know why he is not taking his share, why he is making it difficult for them. Serpico attempts to explain that he simply cannot do it -- being a dirty cop while pretending to be a good one. When the guys finally realize that he is not one of them, they become angry -- very, very angry.

Things start to get out of control when Serpico attempts to alert his superiors that not everything in the department is as it should be. First, he gets a few strange looks, then a couple of serious warnings, and finally a bullet in his face.

Based on Peter Maas’ popular best-seller, Sidney Lumet’s Serpico is a simple but powerful film about an honest cop’s struggle against a corrupt system. A year after the film premiered, Pacino earned an Oscar nomination and won his first Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the cop.

Serpico is a cold and gritty film, devoid of glamour. It is firmly focused on police corruption and its messaging cannot be misinterpreted, but loneliness and loss are key themes in it as well. As Serpico begins asking questions no one wants to answer, his personal life disintegrates, and eventually he turns into a social outcast.

The title is somewhat misleading as Serpico is not the only character of importance in the film. For example, New York City, as it truly was during the 1970s, comes alive and leaves a lasting impression.

* The real Frank Serpico resigned from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on June 15, 1972. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous bravery in action". Shortly after, he moved to Switzerland.

Serpico 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Serpico is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-33 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #36-39 are from 4K Blu-ray.

The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray are sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative. The native 4K presentation utilizes a Dolby Vision/HDR grade. I viewed Serpico in native 4K with Dolby Vision and did a couple of random tests with HDR.

The only other release of Serpico that I have in my library is this release which StudioCanal produced in 2010. It is sourced from an older but very good master that treats the film quite nicely. However, this master has some predictable limitations that trained eyes will recognize. For example, in some darker areas, finer nuances are not as convincing as they could be. Color reproduction and the overall dynamic range of the visuals could be better, too. However, color balance is very good and the entire film has a fine organic appearance.

The exclusive new 4K master is healthier and has stronger density levels, so as soon as the 4K Blu-ray disc loads and the film begins it becomes very clear that a superior element was used to prepare it. On my system, the fluidity of the visuals was undeniably better as well. This means that a lot of the faster-moving footage -- like the chase around the 1.00.00 mark where the camera quickly zooms and pans -- looks better. Image stability is excellent. The exclusive new 4K master is very nicely graded, too. The visuals have the correct color temperature, so the native period appearance of Serpico is retained. This is great news because there is another absolutely atrocious 4K master that StudioCanal prepared a few years ago that destroys the film's native period appearance and turns it green.

Unfortunately, I have to report that in native 4K and 1080p a lot of the darker visuals reveal black crush. Some of it is quite strong and eliminates detail in much the same manner that the crushing on the recent 4K master of The Long Goodbye does. If you compare this screencapture and this screencapture from the StudioCanal release, you will get a pretty good idea how much detail is being lost in relatively well-lit footage. In darker area, where light is restricted more, the crushing becomes very prominent. You can see examples here, here, and here. Interestingly, in native 4K, with Dolby Vision, there are random areas where some of the darker nuances appear much more convincing and reveal native detail as they should. You can see an example here. I expected to see the entire 4K master looking this good. The surface of the visuals is very healthy. To sum it all up, the new 4K master has the healthiest appearance, but it loses quite a bit of detail in darker areas because of prominent crushing that makes most of the film look quite dark as well. My score is 3.75/5.00.

Serpico 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

I started viewing the film with the 2.0 track but also tested quite a few areas with the 5.1 track. I liked what I heard a lot on both, so I would not automatically dismiss the 5.1 track because it is not the original audio. On the 2.0 track, clarity in particular is very good, perhaps a tad better than that on the StudioCanal release. From what I heard, both tracks are very healthy as well. Also, the inclusion of optional English SDH subtitles will surely be appreciated by Engish speakers (the StudioCanal release does not have any).

Serpico 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. The commentators cover a wide range of topics, from the evolution of Sidney Lumet's career and the real story and conception of Serpico to the visual style of the film and the presence of New York City in it.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. The commentators cover a wide range of topics, from the evolution of Sidney Lumet's career and the real story and conception of Serpico to the visual style of the film and the presence of New York City in it.

• Sidney Lumet, Cineaste New York - a wonderful video interview in which director Sidney Lumet discusses the production history of Serpico, his life, career, and what makes New York City such an exciting place. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Looking for Al Pacino - Jack J. Cambria, NYPD commanding officer, filmmakers Jerry Schatzberg (The Panic in Needle Park, Scarecrow), Michael Radford (The Merchant of Venice), and Jack Garfein (Something Wild) discuss the real Frank Serpico, director Sidney Lumet's legacy, and Al Pacino's performance in Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Serpico: From Real to Reel - in this archival program, producer Martin Bregman recalls how Peter Maas' novel appeared on his radar and what motivated him to make Serpico. Mr. Bregman also recalls his first encounter with producer Dino De Laurentiis and interactions with Al Pacino. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Inside Serpico - in this archival program, Sidney Lumet discusses his working methods and the shooting of Serpico. Also, there are some very interesting comments about Al Pacino's transition from The Godfather and mental transformation while playing Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Serpico: Favorite Moments - in this archival program, producer Martin Bregman and Sidney Lumet name their favorite moments from Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Photo Gallery with Commentary - presented here is a collection of promotional stills for Serpico with a commentary by Sidney Lumet. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

Serpico 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sidney Lumet's Serpico is one of the great American films of the 1970s. However, it is not one of those great older films whose message has aged so much that it has lost its relevance. On the contrary, its message has an even stronger resonance now that corruption is detectable in so many different agencies and institutions that should be immune to it. This 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that is vastly superior to the one StudioCanal prepared on the other side of the Atlantic a few years ago. However, there are certain areas of it that could have been managed better so that the 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack is the definitive home video release of Serpico. If possible, my advice is to find a way to test it before deciding whether to purchase it. RECOMMENDED, but with reservations.