MovieChat Forums > Serpico (1973) Discussion > What was up with Serpico and the roast b...

What was up with Serpico and the roast beef sandwhich at the beginning?

posted 3 years ago by PopMusicFan1927 (114)
3 replies | jump to latest

What was up with the deli owner looking unhappy whenever Serpico asked for a roast beef sandwich? Also, what was the deal with Serpico getting the fatty roast beef instead of the lean beef? Like, when he said he would pay for it, the cop who he was shadowing pretty much shut him down and told him just to deal with it - what was up with that? Was this supposed to symbolize something? It seemed really odd with how it all took place in the movie

[–] Who (5146) 2 years ago

He was supposed to take whatever the deli owner offered because it was free. Requesting the expensive sandwich was presumptuous. The other cop says they have an understanding with the guy, they look the other way when his delivery trucks double park and he gives them some free food. Free food doesn’t mean the fanciest items on the menu. It’s the first hint of tolerance for corruption in the force.

[–] [email protected] (5871) 2 years ago

That scene was Serpico's baptism into the dirty waters of police corruption.

He just wanted to pay for something edible. He didn't want a freebie.

The deli owner was a big jerk. I didn't like him. He probably was saving a lot of money since his trucks never got ticketed. Did he have to be such a cheap SOB by giving Serpico a "fat" sandwich? A lesson in what happens when you start dealing in dishonesty.

[–] daveyh (625) 10 months ago

exactly. A very awkward misunderstanding that could easily have been prevented if the patrolman Frank was shadowing had explained the situation before they went in.
Frank didn't know that it was free, and so ordered what he wanted thinking he'd be paying for it. The deli owner didn't know that Frank didn't know it was free, and thought he was taking liberties by requesting something other than the "free special" of the day.

And even then, the owner could have given Frank the nice lean beef and explained the situation, that in future you take what's on offer, instead of giving him the fatty beef out of spite.

Like another poster has already said, it was his first taste of "corruption" and shows that some of his colleagues were more interested in using their position to literally get a free lunch than they were in doing their jobs properly. And it shows that no-one wins because often this free lunch wouldn't be what you wanted.