Serpico

New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

Serpico earned widespread acclaim on release, with Pacino's performance drawing near-universal admiration and Lumet's documentary-style grip on 1970s New York praised as a major achievement. The main point of contention was whether the film's single-minded focus on Serpico himself shortchanged the supporting story — particularly the character based on David Durk — and whether that narrowing made the secondary players feel underdeveloped. Theodorakis's score divided critics sharply, with some finding it evocative and others calling it an outright liability.