Serpico is based on the true story of a New York policeman who discovers that honesty is not expected to be part of his job. He endures scorn and mistreatment from his fellow cops while attempting to perform his duties with integrity. The character of Frank Serpico, combining the best elements of the Establishment and counterculture, is a tour-de-force role for Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scarface). The film is a breathtaking suspense story and a fascinating character study as well as a memorable statement about the government’s inherent flaws. Rendered with unflinching realism by director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon), Serpico earned 1973 Oscar nominations for its screenplay by Waldo Salt (Midnight Cowboy) and Norman Wexler (Saturday Night Fever) from the acclaimed biography by Peter Maas (The Valachi Papers), and for Best Actor, cementing Pacino as one of the cinema’s most versatile and iconic talents. Featuring Cornelia Sharpe (The Reincarnation of Peter Proud) as Leslie, Serpico’s girlfriend.

For thoughts on Serpico, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/m6NCy0AZtOQ?t=4844]

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents Serpico with a pretty great 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer for the first time on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in the U.S. sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. The film was previously released on 4K UHD overseas a few years ago, but by all accounts that release had an atrocious color grade applied to it that has thankfully been rectified with this new presentation. When compared to the old Paramount Blu-Ray release from a decade ago, this release blows that one out of the water. Even those who are not 4K UHD compatible yet can safely upgrade this one as the included Blu-Ray is struck from the new 4K scan.

This may have Dolby Vision, but you should not expect vibrant colors flowing out of the screen thanks to the gritty dourness of the picture. As director Sidney Lumet states in one of the supplemental features, his intention was to make a picture in color that was not colorful. Outside of a handful of elements, the film is devoid of anything that would be classified as “beautiful” colors. The hues are incredibly bold and enriched to their most pleasing state. Where the Dolby Vision really comes in handy is in the contrast. Black levels are deep and nuanced with little left to be desired in shadow detail and in resolving crushed blacks. There are a few moments that begin to crush, but it is not a persistent problem. When things are a bit brighter, highlights are stable with no evidence of blooming.

The level of detail and clarity is greatly improved with the natural film grain coming through without much in the way of grain management. Most of the grain resolves very well with it looking sharp and compact. This transfer has cleaned up almost all instances of stray specks and dirt. There does not appear to be much in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. The texture on display in the costumes and within the environment are favorable. Facial details such as beards and mustaches present with impressive clarity. This presentation is a fetching effort from the good people at Kino Classics, and it serves as the definitive version of the film on the market.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in English that handle this material admirably. The 5.1 surround track is enjoyable enough for those looking to engage all of their speakers, and the 2.0 stereo track appears to more closely reflect the original intention of the film. The environmental sounds of the city are clearly defined and rendered well alongside everything else. The track always feels like it has something going on from the general din of the station to ringing phones or diegetic music, always presented in a nuanced manner. The score from Mikis Theodorakis is used perfectly to set a tone for this story, and the track handles it admirably throughout the duration of the film. You do not encounter moments when it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film a well preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life exactly as you would want. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson provide an incredibly informative commentary track in which they discuss the how this fits into the careers of Al Pacino and Sidney Lumet, the visual aesthetic of the picture, the shooting locations, the themes of the film, the backgrounds of the performers, the legacy of the feature and more.

Sidney Lumet – Cineaste New York: A nearly 31-minute interview with the director about his career as a New York director, the journey from being a child of The Great Depression to a filmmaker, how the city influences storytelling, working with the police, the locations of Serpico, the themes of the picture and more.

Looking For Al Pacino: A 31-minute featurette in which NYPD commanding officer Jack J. Cambria, filmmakers Jerry Schatzberg (The Panic in Needle Park), Michael Radford (The Merchant of Venice), and Jack Garfein (Something Wild) discuss the real-life story of Frank Serpico, the monumental performance from Al Pacino, the direction of Sidney Lumet to blend the two beings into one and more.

Serpico – From Real To Reel: A ten-minute piece with producer Martin Bregman in which he discusses his interest in adapting the novel that inspired Serpico, working with Al Pacino, how the script evolved into what we see on screen, his interactions with producer Dino De Laurentiis and more.

Inside Serpico: A 13-minute featurette in which the creative team discuss the logistics of the production process, Lumet’s down and dirty directing style, the sprawling ensemble, the response to the film and more.

Serpico – Favorite Moments: A three-minute discussion with Lumet and Bregman in which they each reveal their favorite moments from the film.

Photo Gallery with Commentary by Sidney Lumet: A nearly five-minute gallery of stills and marketing material with a narration from Lumet about the score of the film.

Trailers: The four-minute trailer for Serpico is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Death Wish, Marathon Man, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Newman’s Law, Busting, The Laughing Policeman, 12 Angry Men, The Group and A Stranger Among Us.

Final Thoughts

Serpico is a powerhouse pairing of director and star to create one of the best cop movies around. Sidney Lumet is an unstoppable force as a filmmaker, and the way he crafts his vision of New York at this period in time brings an authenticity many movies prior were missing. Al Pacino delivers one of his standout performances as a cop with morals who does not feel like a saint. It is a nuanced role that he makes completely his own. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a good array of new and archival supplemental features. This is one of the great cop movies, and it deserves a spot in your collection. Highly Recommended

Serpico is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.