Marking Dede Allen’s first collaboration with veteran director Sidney Lumet, Serpico began principal photography with only five months until its scheduled holiday release. This expedited timeline forced Allen to edit during the shoot, a practice undesirable for both filmmaker and film editor which nonetheless contributes to the film’s quick clip through plain clothes detective Frank Serpico’s yearslong attempt to combat corruption from within the New York Police Department. An economy of exposition allows Pacino’s interpretation of Serpico’s true-life story to emerge as lived-in and authentic, and garnered the young star Best Actor nods at both the Oscars and the BAFTAs.