Almost halfway through its run time, Rebel Ridge Features a subtle nod to a highly acclaimed 51-year-old Al Pacino movie, which foreshadows its biggest ending twist. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge has performed incredibly well among critics and has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%. Although the film follows a familiar narrative structure previously adopted by several action movies, it etches its own identity in the genre by making its thematic elements and political explorations realistic and relatable.
The primary story of the film revolves around a former Marine who arrives in a small town to bail his cousin out of prison. However, a war gradually erupts between him and the local police force when two police officers unfairly seize his money on the grounds of civil asset forfeiture. While unfolding this story, Rebel Ridge Also introduces parallels to an Al Pacino movie, which adds another layer of realism to its action drama.
Rebel Ridge’s reference to Al Pacino’s Serpico explained
Terry Richmond Codenames a Character “Serpico”
Before Rebel RidgeAt the end of the arc, Summer tells Terry Richmond that one of the police officers in their city’s department is her informant, who gives her inside information about the corrupt activities of the police. Since she avoids revealing his name, Richmond codenamed him “Serpico.“ This is a direct reference to Al Pacino’s 1973 film SerpicoIn which Pacino plays the titular police officer who sets out to expose rampant corruption in the New York Police Department.
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Movie |
Rotten Tomatoes critics score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
|
Rebel Ridge |
95% |
69% |
|
Serpico |
93% |
88% |
In his quest to expose the truth about the police, Al Pacino’s Serpico faces several challenges. At one point, even his friends turn against him for taking a stand against the rampant corruption in their ranks. However, despite many odds, Serpico persists in his pursuit of seeking justice and fairness. Rebel Ridge‘s final arc eventually reveals that David Denman’s officer Evan Marston is “Serpico“When, like the El Pacino character, he stands up to his fellow police officers to protect Summer and Richmond.
The intriguing parallels between Serpico And Rebel Ridge Not only highlight the Netflix movie’s homage to classic cinema, but also make its story more believable.
This twist is surprising because in the opening moments of the film, Marston is one of the two police officers who seized Terry Richmond’s money. When he shows his true intentions in Rebel RidgeIn the final moments, his own comrades point their guns at him, which parallels the events of 1973 Serpico. The intriguing parallels between Serpico And Rebel Ridge Not only highlight the Netflix movie’s homage to classic cinema, but also make its story more believable.
Serpico is based on a true story
Serpico tells the true story of retired NYPD detective Frank Serpico
Based on Peter Maas’ book of the same name, Serpico Tells the true story of Francesco Vincent “Frank” Serpico, who was an American retired New York Police Department detective. As the film and the book reveal, He was the whistleblower of widespread corruption in the New York Police Department during the 1970s.. Exposing the illegal activities of his fellow policemen put him in great danger, and he was even shot in the face during an attempted arrest in 1971.
Key background
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Although Serpico drew criticism from police officers, it largely garnered positive reviews from viewers and critics.
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During the award season, Serpico received several Academy and BAFTA nominations.
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Al Pacino won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his portrayal of Serpico in the film.
He was the first officer in the history of the New York Police Department to stand up against systemic corruption. Due to his contribution, he earned a Medal of Honor before retiring on June 15, 1972. When Officer Marston tries to protect Summer and Terry in Rebel RidgeHe too is shot in the leg by Chief Sandy and almost dies when the shot ruptures one of his nerves.
Rebel Ridge’s Serpico nod adds a layer of realism to its story
Rebel Ridge highlights some real world incidents and concerns
Apart from featuring parallels to Serpico, Rebel Ridge Also underscores real-world concerns surrounding civil asset forfeiture injustice. It is not directly based on a true story. however, It shows how civil asset forfeiture is a major loophole in anti-drug regulationsOften misused by the police to seize a civilian’s property without any legal evidence of wrongdoing.
Related
While highlighting this real-world issue, Rebel Ridge Empowers audiences and gives them a semblance of control over injustice by portraying a heroic ex-Marine, vi Al PacinoS Serpico, set out to fight back against systemic corruption. This allows the Netflix action movie to be much more realistic than most other similar films that riff on the mysterious alien trope. Rebel Ridges similarities with First blood are still pretty obvious, but the unique real-world references allow it to etch its own unique identity within the genre.