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| Photo: Paul Davis On Crime |
A New York City narcotics detective reluctantly agrees to cooperate with a special commission investigating police corruption. However, he soon discovers that he's in over his head, and nobody can be trusted.
Released in 1981 and starring a young (and relatively unknown) Treat Williams, Prince of the City is one of Lumet's most overlooked and underrated gems and a film that's been cast in the shadow of Serpico, a less challenging but ultimately more iconic film from the era; both were directed by Lumet, and both contain striking similarities thematically, but Prince of the City offers a more stirring, profound portrait of crime and punishment.
Based on the real-life story of a New York City police officer and adapted from Robert Daley's 1978 book of the same name, Prince of the City is a quintessential crime drama that helped set the template for modernized television cop dramas (Homicide, Law & Order, etc.). Of course, with the perpetual banality that exists within that sub-genre, it's hardly a thing to boast; for this reason, the film hasn't aged incredibly well, but there's still plenty to enjoy.
More after the jump...
