Summary:

Serpico is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the book of the same name by Peter Maas. The music is by Mikis Theodorakis and stars Al Pacino, Cornelia Sharp Bregman and John Randolph.

The film, like the book, tells the true story of New York City Police Officer Frank Serpico, who in the early 1970s denounced corruption pervasive in the New York City Police Department and clashed with corrupt colleagues.

After graduating from the Police Academy, Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) joins a local police station and as a young constable shows great zeal in fighting crime, making constant arrests of petty criminals.

During a routine patrol with a colleague they find a noted betting agent who had delayed paying the monthly bribe to the police. That's when Serpico first encounters corruption inside the police station. The police officers of the station will propose to Serpico that he also get his fair share, but Serpico does not accept.

After repeated cases of corruption in the department and constant pressure from other police officers to get a bribe, Serpico decides to go to his superiors, but to no avail, because he refuses to testify against his colleagues. Nevertheless, he will not give up and will continue his effort to fight corruption.

His struggle would lead to infighting in the New York police force, problems in his personal relationships, as well as death threats. Finally, after being shot in the face during a drug arrest on February 3, 1971, he testified before the Knapp Commission, created by the U.S. government, to investigate police corruption in New York City between 1970 and 1972.

After being awarded the Medal of Honor by the New York Police Department and receiving a disability pension, Serpico resigns from the police force and goes to live in Switzerland.