Film retrospectives seem to be in scarce supply these days
unless they're tied to a new release, a remake, or an untimely
death. Thankfully, The New York Times' piece on Frank Serpico
was inspired by none of the above; it's just an intriguing look
back at Sidney Lumet's film Serpico and the man who inspired it.
Neither the film nor the real Frank Serpico have exactly
disappeared from the radar (Serpico has an official website and
a blog), but Corey Kilgannon's profile is a particularly
haunting piece because it confronts its subject with his own
movie biopic. It's a timely one too, as there's at least one
generation (if not two) that know more about Spider-Man's
heroism than Serpico's, and favor Michael Bay over Sidney Lumet.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Frank Serpico's name was shorthand for
bravery, honesty, and standing up against your so-called friends
and allies. Everyone knew his story. He was the son of Italian
immigrants, a Brooklyn native who had such pride in his country
that he fought in Korea and join