Serpico Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Serpico Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 13, 2014

Nominated for two Academy Awards, Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; three archival documentaries featuring comments by producer Martin Bregman and director Sidney Lumet; and photo gallery with commentary by the American director. The release also arrives with a 44-page illustrated booklet featuring a new and exclusive essay by critic and writer Karina Longworth, rare archival imagery, and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Heading in different directions

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.

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 for 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 he wanted to be a cop. When his first envelope arrives, Serpico refuses it.

The other guys in the department are unsure what to think about Serpico. Perhaps he just needs more time to get used to how things are done, realize what is expected from him, relax and start taking his share. He 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. He sees in her what the other men she has been with did not. Perhaps he is the one. But Serpico reveals to her that he isn’t 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 isn’t taking his share, why he is making it difficult for them. Serpico attempts to explain that he simply can’t. The guys become 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’ novel, 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. The focus of attention in it is indeed on police corruption, but loneliness and loss are important sub-themes as well. As Serpico begins asking questions no one wants to answer, his personal life begins to disintegrate, and eventually he turns into a social outcast.

The title is somewhat misleading as Serpico isn’t the only character of importance in the film. New York City truly comes alive here - the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, we get a real feel of what the city was like during the 1970s.

Note: 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 that, he moved to Switzerland.

Serpico Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sidney Lumet's Serpico arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The high-definition transfer is not identical to the one StudioCanal used for their Pan-European release of Serpico back in 2010. Generally speaking, the film looks slightly darker. Also, the color temperature is marginally warmer - browns and reds are more prominent here while on the French release there is a wider range of colder grays and blues (compare screencapture #18 with screencapture #13 from our review of the French release to see what type of color discrepancies exist). Sharpness levels are virtually identical on the two releases. There are no traces of excessive degrainning corrections. However, some extremely light inherited noise is occasionally mixed with the grain. The same light noise is also present on the French release and it is easy to see that it is also inherited. There are no large debris, cuts, damage, marks, or stains, and image stability is very good. Lastly, there is some very minor stretching that can be spotted during select close-ups (compare screencapture #17 with screencapture #2 from our review of the French release), but while viewing the film its existence is virtually impossible to recognize. All in all, I prefer the color scheme of the French release, but I think that the color discrepancies are fairly small. Naturally, you should read the two reviews we have posted and see which release appeals to you. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Serpico Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Eureka Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the original mono track and was very pleased with it. As it is the case with the lossless track from the French release, its dynamic amplitude is fairly limited, but such is the film's original sound design. On the other hand, depth and especially clarity are very good. A quick comparison with Paramount's R1 DVD release of Serpico immediately reveals that Mikis Theodorakis's music score has seriously benefited from the lossless treatment as well. The music is thicker, better rounded, and better balanced with the dialog. For the record, there are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or distortions.

Serpico Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Serpico: From Real to Reel - in this featurette, producer Martin Bregman discusses some of the dilemmas he was presented with while trying to get a studio to finance Serpico. Mr. Bregman also recalls his first impressions of the real Frank Serpico. Also included is an excerpt from an archival interview with director Sidney Lumet. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Inside "Serpico" - in this featurette, Sidney Lumet discusses his directing methods and his interactions with Al Pacino during the shooting of Serpico. Producer Martin Bregman also explains why in 1973 the film and its message were a lot more important than the cast. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Serpico: Favorite Moments - producer Martin Bregman and director Sidney Lumet mention their favorite moments from Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Photo Gallery - photo gallery with commentary by Sidney Lumet discussing the scoring of Serpico. Mr. Lumet recalls how Greek composer Mikis Theodorakiswas hired to score Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for Serpico. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Booklet - 44-page illustrated booklet featuring "Serpico and the Invention of Hair Acting" by Karina Longworth; "The Filming of Serpico: Interview with Cinematographer Arthur Ornitz" by Win Sharples, Jr.; and "Method Man: Interview with Al Pacino" by Lawrence Grobel.

Serpico Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sidney Lumet's Serpico, one of the great films of the 1970s, should have a reserved spot in every serious collection. Until recently, in Europe the film was available on Blu-ray only in select territories courtesy of StudioCanal. This new release from British distributors Eureka Entertainment uses a high-definition transfer which is not identical to the one the French distributors used for their release. Read the two Region-B reviews we have on the site, compare the two releases, and see which one you prefer. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.