DIRECTED BY... SIDNEY LUMET - VOLUME ONE (1964 – 1973)
Imprint Collection #280 – 285
Limited Edition 7-Disc Blu-ray Hardbox
Six films from the prolific and influential director Sidney Lumet are collected in this Limited Edition 7-disc boxset, including a brand NEW feature documentary One Step Further: Becoming Lumet.
The Pawnbroker (1964)
The Group (1966)
The Deadly Affair (1967)
Child’s Play (1972)
The Offence (1973)
Serpico (1973)
THE PAWNBROKER (1964)
Imprint Collection #280
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 115 Minutes
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: B&W 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Rod Steiger, Morgan Freeman, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, Jaime Sánchez
In Sidney Lumet's The Pawnbroker (1965), based on the novel by Edward Lewis Wallant, the Rod Steiger (The Big Knife) plays Sol Nazerman, a German-Jewish university professor who survived the WWII Nazi death camps, but lost his wife and kids. 25 years after surviving that he now resides in Spanish Harlem burrough of NYC and operates a failing pawn shop. Suffering from survivor's guilt he isolated himself emotionally and socially, and is unwilling to form friendships, or to even be socially polite to those he encounters at the pawn, including a steady parade of customers looking to pawn items who almost desperately attempt to make small-talk with the steadfastly cold pawnbroker.
At the Harlem pawnshop he employs a young Puerto Rican man named Jesus Ortiz (Jaime Sánchez, The Wild Bunch), an ambitious young Puerto Rican looking to learn the ropes from the businessman, but who he treats rather indifferently. Sol's depressive outlook leads him to shut himself off from the world, ruffling feathers along the way, among them a social worker Marilyn (Geraldine Fitzgerald, Rachel, Rachel) who is opening a youth club in the neighborhood, and racketeer Rodriguez (Brock Peters, Alligator II: The Mutation) whom we discover is laundering prostitution money through the pawn shop, which Sol take's umbrage with.
Throughout the film Sol's icy exterior begins to crack as he experiences triggered flashbacks to life with his wife and kids, and then to horrific experiences he suffered in the death camps, including vicious dog attacks, the forced prostitution of his wife and other women, and the death of his son.
A powerful film with a gripping and quietly intense turn from Steiger, who surprisingly never overbakes the performance, he was an actor with a penchant for overdoing it a bit, but here I thought the performance was quite excellent, only ratcheting it up a bit too much when tragedy strikes poor Jesus, who finds himself falling in with the wrong crowd by way of street tough Tangee (Raymond St. Jacques, Uptight) planning to rob Sol's shop, which turns deadly. The look of the film is gritty, the Spanish Harlem exteriors are seedy and run down, while the interiors of Sol's shop is shot from behind protective bars and cages, both representing him walling himself off from the rest of humanity, but also trapping himself in a cage of his own anguish. The lensing by Boris Kaufman is outstanding in that it not only captures the desperation of the neighborhood but juxtaposes that imagery with the anguish and turmoil of Sol, all of it enhanced with some terrific set design .
There are also memorable turns from Thelma Oliver (Black Like Me) as Ortiz's girl who at one attempts to sell her body to Sol to earn some cash, triggering a flashback, Reni Santoni (Dirty Harry, "Poppy" from TV's Seinfeld) as a guy frantically trying to pawn a broken radio, and prolific character actor Charles Dierkop (Silent Night, Deadly Night) as one of Tangee's thugs, but it's Steiger's deeply anguished and tortured turn as the titular pawnbroker with a tragic past that holds it all down. The direction from Lumet is taut, the almost experimental editing style with flashbacks to the death camps are startling, artful and still quite shocking even watching it now.
Audio/Video: The Pawnbroker arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Imprint Films as part of the 6-film Directed by... Sidney Lumet Vol. 1 box set, advertised as a 2K scan, though the source elements are undisclosed. Presented here in 1.85:1 widescreen the monochromatic image is very pleasing. The source showcases some very minor speckling but overall the source is near flawless. Contrast and grayscale are also string throughout, black levels are solid, and there's some nice depth and clarity to the image. This is a scan that nicely showcases the cinematography from Boris Kaufman (Uptight). Audio comes by way of English LPCM 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, exporting dialogue without issue, the score by Quincy Jones (In The Heat of the Night) is also quite good, capturing the hustle of Spanish Harlem, but as my wife noted after our viewing, it never really captures the intensity of the emotional anguish of Steiger's character.
The Pawnbroker gets loads of extras on disc, we start of with a new Audio Commentary by writer/producer Phoef Sutton, writer/NPR commentator Mark Legan, and author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner (2023); the 25-min Cinema of the Pilpul: A Talmudic View of Early Holocaust Cinema – Video Essay by film historian / filmmaker Daniel Kremer (2023); 12-min Safe Within Myself: Remembering Rod Steiger – Interview with the stepdaughter of Rod Steiger, Claudia Myhers Tschudin (2023); and the 113-min The Guardian Interview: Rod Steiger (1992), plus the 2-min Theatrical Trailer.
That's just disc one, onto disc two we are spoiled with tons more Lumet-centric extras. First up is the One Step Further: Becoming Lumet (2023) – a feature documentary. An all-new documentary detailing the first half of Lumet's fascinating career; from his early beginnings as director for television, to the release of Serpico, this was produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures. Also new, the newly produced A Perfectly Outrageous Cut: Editing Lumet – an all-new featurette with award winning editor Alan Heim discussing his working relationship with Sidney Lumet (2023); His Favourite Protagonist: Designing Lumet – an all-new featurette with production designer Philip Rosenberg discussing his collaborations with Sidney Lumet (2023); Man With No Anger: Scoring Lumet – an all-new featurette with film music historian Daniel Schweiger discussing acclaimed composer Quincy Jones and his collaboration with Sidney Lumet (2023); and a Trailers From Hell – Adam Rifkin commentary on Serpico.
Special Features:
Disc 1:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW! Audio Commentary by writer/producer Phoef Sutton, writer/NPR commentator Mark Legan, and author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner (2023)
- NEW! Cinema of the Pilpul: A Talmudic View of Early Holocaust Cinema – Video Essay by film historian / filmmaker Daniel Kremer (2023) (25:02)
- NEW! Safe Within Myself: Remembering Rod Steiger – Interview with the stepdaughter of Rod Steiger, Claudia Myhers (12:02) Tschudin (2023)
- The Guardian Interview: Rod Steiger (1992) (1:52:32)
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW! Audio Commentary by writer/producer Phoef Sutton, writer/NPR commentator Mark Legan, and author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner (2023)
- NEW! Cinema of the Pilpul: A Talmudic View of Early Holocaust Cinema – Video Essay by film historian / filmmaker Daniel Kremer (2023) (25:02)
- NEW! Safe Within Myself: Remembering Rod Steiger – Interview with the stepdaughter of Rod Steiger, Claudia Myhers (12:02) Tschudin (2023)
- The Guardian Interview: Rod Steiger (1992) (1:52:32)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:24)
Disc 2:
- One Step Further: Becoming Lumet (2023) – Feature Documentary. An all-new documentary detailing the first half of this celebrated filmmaker’s career; from his early beginnings as director for television, to the release of Serpico. Produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures.
- NEW! A Perfectly Outrageous Cut: Editing Lumet – an all-new featurette with award winning editor Alan Heim discussing his working relationship with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- NEW! His Favourite Protagonist: Designing Lumet – an all-new featurette with production designer Philip Rosenberg discussing his collaborations with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- NEW! Man With No Anger: Scoring Lumet – an all-new featurette with film music historian Daniel Schweiger discussing acclaimed composer Quincy Jones and his collaboration with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- Trailers From Hell – Adam Rifkin commentary on Serpico
- NEW! A Perfectly Outrageous Cut: Editing Lumet – an all-new featurette with award winning editor Alan Heim discussing his working relationship with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- NEW! His Favourite Protagonist: Designing Lumet – an all-new featurette with production designer Philip Rosenberg discussing his collaborations with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- NEW! Man With No Anger: Scoring Lumet – an all-new featurette with film music historian Daniel Schweiger discussing acclaimed composer Quincy Jones and his collaboration with Sidney Lumet (2023)
- Trailers From Hell – Adam Rifkin commentary on Serpico
THE GROUP (1966)
Imprint Collection #281
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 152 Minutes 11 Seconds
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Candice Bergen, Jessica Walter, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight
In what amounts to a almost decade long hang-out with this group we see the de facto leader of the group the assured and sarcastic Lakey (Candice Bergen, T.R. Baskin), Priss (Elizabeth Hartman, Full Moon High) marries an overbearing, controlling right-wing doctor and has two miscarriages before she gives birth to a son; Kay (Joanna Pettet, The Evil) marries an abusive playwright played by Larry Hagman, TV's Dallas) who cheats on her with her friend Norine (Carrie Nye, Creepshow), Dottie (Joan Hackett, The Terminal Man) has an unfulfilling affair with a low-rent artists (Richard Mulligan, Scavenger Hunt)that results in an abortion. Pokey (Mary-Robin Redd, Cannonball) squeezes out two sets of twins; Helena (Kathleen Widdoes, The Mephisto Waltz) travels the world and becomes the lesbian-lover of a wealthy baroness (Lidia Prochnicka), while catty and ambitious Libby (Jessica Walter, Play Misty For Me) becomes successful in the literary world, Polly (Shirley Knight, Grandma's Boy) has an affair with a married man (Hal Holbrook, The Fog) and is burdened with a manic-depressive father (Robert Emhardt, It's Alive), but later finds happiness with a kind doctor (James Broderick, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three).
The period film looks spot-on with wonderful set design and period decoration, fashions hair-dos with attractive pastel colored lensing from Boris Kaufman (The Pawnbroker), plus an excellent supportive score by Charles Gross (Blue Sunshine). At over two and a half hours long this is no jaunty flick, Lumet was never one to be brief in his storytelling, but I found myself so enamored by the cast and their multi-dimensional characters, this is a terrific female lead melodrama full of warmth, gossip, abrasiveness, and the hard truths are how challenging and unfulfilling life can be, plus I really loved how the 30's period is filtered though the late-60's lens. Now it might rub some wrong that pretty much every guy in the this flick, save for a kind-hearted doc, is a prick of some sort, but hard truths my friend, hard truths. When I first put this on I thought it moved a bit too fast, I found it hard to latch onto the characters, but when it did get its hooks in me I was quite enamored with this tale about eight flawed but sympathetic and invigorating characters. It's also just an interesting time capsule if these eight actresses who were all up and coming at the time, some of whom went onto successful careers, some who didn't, and a couple whose careers tragically ended way too early, b ut here in this one film at this specific time they were all terrific.
Audio/Video: The Group (1966) is presented on region-free Blu-ray framed in 1.66:1 widescreen, the source is in good shape with only some minor speckling and wear, colors looks excellent, depth and clarity are pleasing. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. Dialogue and the Charles Gross score are cleanly delivered and well-balanced.
Extras include a new Audio Commentary by critic Adrian Martin and a 4-min Theatrical Trailer.
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW! Audio Commentary by critic Adrian Martin
- Theatrical Trailer (3:44)
THE DEADLY AFFAIR (1967)
Imprint Collection #282
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 106 Minutes 56 Seconds
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: James Mason, Maximilian Schell, Harriet Anderson, Harry Andrews
Adam Scarr (Roy Kinnear, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory), with Mendel beating the snot out of Scarr after Dobbs in conked on the head by an assailant, his arm broken.
Dobbs home life is pretty dire during this time as well, his much younger wife Ann (Harriet Andersson, Fanny and Alexander) is openly unfaithful, and he is further crestfallen to discover that she had seduced one of his former War era allies named Dieter Frey (Maximilian Schell, Disney's The Black Hole). Mason's portrayal of a man in anguish in regard to his wife's infidelity is quite superb.
The plot boils down to a postcard being sent to trick Elsa into meeting with her suspected communist handler at a theatre production of "Edward II", starring David Warner (Waxwork), thereby exposing his identity. This triggers a couple of deaths that include a silent strangulation at the theatre, and a dispatch that is part drowning, part brutal aquatic crushing. The film is wonderfully taught and suspenseful with a desaturated color palette that makes it feel like a black and white noir, courtesy of a new desaturating process by cinematographer Freddie Young (Lawrence of Arabia), which Lumet dubbed
"colourless colour". The espionage thriller also has an interesting score from Quincey Jones (The Pawnbroker) that has a bossa nova flavor to it, including a title theme "Who Needs Forever" that featuring vocals by Astrud Gilberto.
Audio/Video: The Deadly Affair gets a region-free Blu-ray from Imprint Films presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. The source looks terrific, the coarse grain is well-man aged if looking like an older HD master. The "colorless color" offers muted highlights by designs, though occasional splashes of color do make an impression. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles, dialogue comes through cleanly without issue, as does the Quincy Jones (The Anderson Tapes) score.
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- Theatrical Trailer (2:33)
CHILD'S PLAY (1972)
Imprint Collection #283
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 100 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: James Mason, Robert Preston, Beau Bridges
Child's Play (1972) is a strangely intense Gothic tale about the happenings at the St. Charles Catholic boarding school for boys, directed by Lumet of course, re-teaming him with James Mason from The Deadly Affair, based on the Broadway play by Robert Marasco, the author of the haunted house possessor Burnt Offerings. At the school there's feud between two classroom instructors, we have the feared Latin teacher Jerome Malley (James Mason, Salem's Lot), who has been dubbed "Lash" by the students because of his strict adherence to the rules, and the beloved liberal English teacher Joseph Dobbs (Robert Preston, The Last Starfighter) who is quite well-liked. This feud is observed by the new gym teacher Paul Reis (Beau Bridges, The Fabulous Baker Boys), a former student at the school ten years earlier, who now finds himself drawn into the feud, as well as witnessing a sinister undercurrent of violence that's erupting amongst the student body. The violence includes a boy faux-crucified on the school's chapel altar, while another is attacked by the other boys in the gymnasium, losing an eye during the fracas.
All the while the feud between the dueling teachers deepens, with Malley growing increasingly unhinged as his elderly mother declines in health. All the while someone taunts him with harassing telephone calls and sending pornopgraphic materials to his home; he becomes convinced that Dobbs is the man behind it all, in an effort to force Malley into an early retirement so that he can assume his position overseeing the seniors. Malley is despised by the student body, unable to hide his seething hatred for the well-liked Dobbs who he sees as trying to destroy him.
The Catholic school setting is heavy with Gothic overtones, enhanced by a sinister horror score from Michael Small (Night Moves) that at times gives some serious The Omen vibes, which gives the happening at the school a satanic vibe that I was eating up with a spoon. Veteran actors Mason and Preston are absolutely terrific, imbuing their characters with some nice depth, their feud is palpable, dripping with heightened emotions, their feud spilling over into outright verbal sparring that pulls no punches. It's easy to be for one more than the other, as one is harsh and a stickler for the rules, poised on the edge of nervous breakdown, perhaps even pushed there, while the other is well liked and gregarious, but there's something sinister about them both to be honest, and once Bridges gym teacher character is introduced we filter the two characters through his eyes, and indeed new sympathies emerge for Mason's character. The mystery of what has infiltrated the school an infected not only these teachers but the student body is quite intriguing, while ultimately I think the true antagonist is well broadcast in advance I did like the way it plays out, and how over-the-top it gets.
I believe how it all pans out splits the audience on this one, all the sinister happenings, weirdly dark atmosphere, and tense psychological horror sets up a certain expectation, and what is delivered is pretty divisive, but I loved it. I think regardless of which side of the fence you fall on you'd be hard-pressed to pick apart that acting form the two leads, they are terrific. I would also give a special shout-out to the character of Father George (David Rounds, The Elephant
Man), a young priest with an oddball sense of humor that offered both observational insights and some levity to the proceedings. Beau Bridges is so young here, his character has a certain naivety that he plays well, but I thought some of his scenes were a bit overwrought, particularly towards the end, though the same could be said for both Mason and Preston, but they pulled it off, while the still green Bridges didn't wear it quite as well. Anyway, while the film ultimately doesn't deliver the occult-thriller it seems to be setting up I quite enjoyed it this horror adjacent thriller, the palpable sense of foreboding, paranoia, and dread pointing towards some insidious darkness that will materialize on the horizon was all very unsettling, and I liked the devil-in-disguise power struggle, showcasing how unsettlingly easy it is to manipulate impressionable youth, until it gets out of hand.
Audio/Video: Child's PLay (1972) gets a region-free Blu-ray from Imprint Films, presented in 1080p HD widescreen 1.78:1, The 2K scan look quite nice, if perhaps a bit dated with course grain and a thick look to it. The only blemishes are some minor white speckling throughout. Colors are pleasing, skin tones look accurate, and black levels are strong. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 dual-mono, with optional English subtitles, the track is clean and well-balanced, dialogue is always easy to understand and the score by Michael Small (Stepford Wives) sounds very good. New extras include an Audio Commentary by film historian Howard Berger (2023), plus the 36-min Designing Sidney – Interview with production designer Philip Rosenberg (2023).
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW! Audio Commentary by film historian Howard Berger (2023)
- NEW! Designing Sidney – Interview with production designer Philip Rosenberg (2023) (35:46)
THE OFFENCE (1973)
Imprint Collection #284
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 112 Minutes 36 Seconds
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Sean Connery, Ian Bannen, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant
The Lumet directed neo-noir character study The Offence (1973) is based on the John Hopkins’ stage play This Story Of Yours, and stars Sean Connery (From Russia with Love) as a burnt-out British Detective Sergeant Johnson, a 20-year veteran of the force who is investigating a string of sexual attacks on children. When the latest girl goes missing the coppers launch a search and rescue, Johnson finds the young girl inthe woods and she is taken to the hospital. Suspect Kenneth Baxter (Ian Bannen, Eye of the Needle) is brought in for questioning, and after revealing nothing to other detectives is left alone with Johnson for an more intense interrogation, but the copper is wound-up tightly and battling inner-demons, during the interrogation he snaps and beats Baxter severely, sending him to the hospital. Johnson is suspended for his actions and returns home and starts drinking heavily, trying to drown out the images of rape, death and murder that have stained his mind for the past two decades. There he argues with his his discontented wife Maureen (Vivien Merchant, Frenzy), telling her in graphic detail about the soul-shredding horrors that he has witnessed during his 20 year career.
Later that night a pair of Johnson's colleagues arrives to inform him that Baxter has died from the injuries inflicted on him by Johnson, and bring him in for questioning, He is then interrogated by Detective Superintendent Cartwright (Trevor Howard, The Third Man) to get a detailed accounting of what happened during the interrogation of Baxter that lead to the violent altercation. During this interview we see a series of grotesque and violent flashback to the horrors that Johnson has witnessed through the years, as well as snippets of the interview with Baxter, revealing the shocking truth of what lead to him beating Baxter.
Connery gives an explosive and disturbingly intense performance as the short-fused detective with a mind full of horrific imagery with an inner darkness lurking just below the surface that emerging during an interrogation, revealing a darker side to his personality. I quite enjoyed the jagged non-linear storytelling that comes off like a house on fire.
Audio/Video: The Offence (1973) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Imprint Films, framed in 1.66:1 widescreen in 1080p HD the image is solid. Color reproduction is pleasing, grain levels while a bit chunky making this appear to be an older HD master, black levels are deep and the contrast is pleasing. I know this was previously released in both the US and UK, but I have not watched them myself and have no basis for comparison. Audio comes by way of English LPCM 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles, the track is well-balanced and mostly clean, there's a smidge of hiss in the background but it's unobtrusive. Dialogue sounds terrific, and the score from Harrison Birtwistle fares well also.
The extras are well-stocked indeed for The Offence, we get - a brand new illuminating Audio Commentary by film historians Lee Pfeiffer, Tony Latino & Paul Scrabo (2023), a new 57-min Sidney Lumet: Childhood Elegy – Video Essay by film historian Howard Berger (2023); plus a new 8-min Interview with second assistant director Michael Stevenson (2022). Carried over from the UK release from Eureka we get the 14-min Interview with composer Harrison Birtwistle (2015); the 16-min Interview with stage director Christopher Morahan (2015); 13-min Interview with assistant art director Chris Burke (2015); 6-min Interview with costume designer Evangeline Harrison (2015); and the 6-min Interview with sound mixer Simon Kaye, plus the 2-min Theatrical Trailer.
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW! Audio Commentary by film historians Lee Pfeiffer, Tony Latino & Paul Scrabo (2023)
- NEW! Sidney Lumet: Childhood Elegy – Video Essay by film historian Howard Berger (2023) (57:12)
- NEW! Interview with second assistant director Michael Stevenson (2022) (7:49)
- Interview with composer Harrison Birtwistle (2015) (14:01)
- Interview with stage director Christopher Morahan (2015) (15:46)
- Interview with assistant art director Chris Burke (2015) (12:50)
- Interview with costume designer Evangeline Harrison (2015) (6:29)
- Interview with sound mixer Simon Kaye (2016) (6:20)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:07)
SERPICO (1973)
Imprint Collection #285
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 130 Minutes 7 Seconds
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Tony Roberts, Biff McGuire, Charles White, Allan Rich, Barbara Eda-Young, , Cornelia Sharpe
Serpico (1973) opens with NYPD police officer Frank Serpico (Al Pacino, House of Gucci) being rushed to the hospital after being shot in the face during an undercover narcotics bust. Chief Sidney Green (John Randolph, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation). The film then goes back in time to show how he ended up shot in the face, starting off with his graduation from the police academy, becoming a street cop with a full of ideas about what it means to be a cop, only to be crushed by the rampant corruption he faces. Not just on the streets by the inner-department corruption of his fellow officers, from getting free lunches to massive payoffs that keep the crooked cops flush with cash but morally bankrupt. Serpico becomes a plainclothes cop, and he's a bit of a hippy which sets him apart from his fellow officers, who begin to take note that he's unwilling to accept the payouts, which almost immediately puts him at odds with the other cops. As the years go by he ends up transferring to other precincts throughout Manhattan for the Bronx looking for someplace that isn't corrupt, but it seems corruption is everywhere and inescapable. Increasingly Serpico becomes further ostracized, and frustrated, growing tired of it he begins seek inner-departmental reform, urged by his friend Bob Blair (Tony Roberts, Amityville 3-D) to come foreword to his superiors, though he finds little help when he opens up to Captain McClain (Biff McGuire, The Werewolf of Washington) and a do-nothing police commissioner (Charles White), as well as the Mayor. Eventually he does get some traction after he attempts to go through outside channels, and a grand jury is summoned, but even then D.A. Tauber (Allan Rich, The Entity) does not go after the higher ups that fostered this culture of corruption. Along the way we also see Serpico's attempts at relationships by way of Laurie (Barbara Eda-Young, Talk To Me) and Leslie (Cornelia Sharpe, Venom), both doomed by Serpico's obsessive moral crusade.
Pacino is fantastic inthe role of the moral crusader within the police department who finds himself ostracized from the force because of his steadfast refusal to bow to the inherent corruption. His hippie, counter-culture character is quirky and weird, but a straight-shooter, often going undercover and looking pretty scraggly, but always a charmer. As surprised as I was when I discovered I had actually never watched the whole film I was also surprised by how indifferent I was about the flick as whole. I know the film is based on a true story, but to my mind Serpico is too steadfastly morally superior, there's no gray area, it's all black and white, and that seems to be the characters defining trait, but as a film I was a bit lukewarm on it. That said, I will reaffirm that Pacino is fantastic, the direction from Lumet is unsurprisingly strong, but the story itself was a bit to black and white for my tastes, Serpico is too much of a boy scout, but at least he;s a quirky boy scout, and as a time capsule of 70's NYC it's full-on eye-candy from start to finish.
Audio/Video: Serpico (1973) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Imprint film in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. The source is in terrific shape, the only blemishes are some minor white speckling, grain is finely resolved, the muted by design colors are well-saturated, and black levels and shadow detail are pleasing. Audio chores are capably handled by English LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono or DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles. Both tracks are clean and well-balanced, the 5.1 opens things up a bit, to the benefit of the Mikis Theodorakis score, but I was quite happy with the dual-mono presentation. Sadly, there are no extras for Serpico, this is barebones edition, but thankfully the box set is otherwise chock full of cool bonus features.
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
The 7-disc set arrives in a rigid, top-loading hardbox with a yellow/blue motif that's looks terrific, it's a very striking box set design. Lifting off the top reveals six 14mm clear keepcases housing the feature-films, the wraps are 2-sided but non-reversible, all featuring original illustrated theatrical poster artworks with an image from the film on the reverse side, the disc inside some of the same key art as the wraps. The spines have their own individual catalog numbers,
This is a terrific set from Imprint Film, taking is on a journey through the early filmography of Sidney Lumet, starting off in NYC with Rod Steiger in The Pawnbroker and appropriately it ends up back in NYC with Pacino in Serpico. In-between we have an ensemble decade-spanning feminist hangout flick with The Group, an occult-tinged boy-school shocker with James Mason and Robert Preston in Child's Play, and a pair of British flicks with the spy-thriller The Deadly Affair with James Mason and the explosive character study, and The Offence featuring a never-better Sean Connery. It's quite an impactful 6-film cinematic journey through the early filmography of Sidney Lumet, packed full of in-depth extras and gorgeous packaging, this six-film set comes highly recommended.
THE GROUP (1966)
THE DEADLY AFFAIR (1967)
Screenshots from Imprint Films Blu-rays:
THE PAWNBROKER (1964)
THE GROUP (1966)
CHILD'S PLAY (1972)
THE OFFENCE (1973)
SERPICO (1973)
