matthias s
"Dog Day Afternoon" is a rollercoaster of a movie that keeps you on your toes. Al Pacino delivers a mesmerizing performance that's worth the price of admission alone. The film's message about societal norms and how they perceive "freaks" is both thought-provoking and timely. It challenges our preconceived notions and reminds us that freaks are not the freaks we think they are.
However, this cinematic gem has its drawbacks. For me, the pacing can be a bit sluggish at times, making the film feel longer than its runtime. While Pacino's acting is a standout, some supporting performances fall flat. The extended runtime also tests your patience, requiring a substantial investment of your time.
In the end, "Dog Day Afternoon" is a mixed bag of brilliance and drag. It's a must-see for Pacino fans and those who appreciate films with a powerful message, but be prepared for a bit of a marathon.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/15/23
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Michael V
Anything can happen during the dog days of summer.
On August 22nd, 1972,
everything did.
Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet 🏦
Awesome! 😀
I'd totally recommend it 👍🏼👍🏼
One of my favourite movies of the year ⭐️
Grounded in an outstanding performance by Pacino, this is movie balances drama, tension, and humour…
Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturale. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny's motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/19/23
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PridePosterStudios
...and the Al-GBT community was formed
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
04/26/24
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Matthew B
It might be thought that there was nothing new to say about movies with bank heists, or movies where criminals take hostages. There have been so many of them. However cinema always finds a new way to revisit old tropes. In 1975, it was to be that most earnest and committed of film directors, Sidney Lumet who approached this familiar material in a subversive and very funny way.
The film was Dog Day Afternoon, and it was marked from many movies of this kind in a number of ways – the lack of professionalism shown by the bank robbers, the personality of the leading criminal, the behaviour of the bank staff, the relationship between captors and hostages, and the motives that inspired the heist in the first place.
Based loosely on a true story, Dog Day Afternoon is about two inexperienced bank robbers who attempt to rob the First Brooklyn Savings Bank. The robbers are a pair of Vietnam veterans called Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and Salvatore "Sal" Naturale (John Cazale). Sonny is the dominant partner, a nervous young man who speaks in a high-pitched croak (which was later imitated by Hank Azaria when he created the voice for Moe Szyslak, the bartender in The Simpsons).
Such are the two men who plan this amateurish robbery that is doomed from the outset. Sonny struggles to pull his gun out of the bag to threaten the staff with. The men carelessly use each other's real names. The money has already been picked up earlier that day so the vaults are largely empty.
Almost immediately afterwards there is a phone call to the bank to inform Sonny and Sal that the police are aware of what is going on. Minutes later, cop cars surround the bank and the siege situation commences. It becomes clear that the robbers had no back-up plan, and do not know what to do.
While Dog Day Afternoon is not a comedy, it is very funny. There is much humour too in the way that the robbers interact with the bank staff that they are holding captive. This is not one of those films where the criminals are cold-blooded, amoral killers. Instead they find it difficult to be harsh to their prisoners.
The crowds might be said to be a character in the movie in their own right. During the credits we see images from across the city, and this helps to establish the citizens as being actors in this film. Lumet employed extras to make up the crowd, but these were joined by real onlookers. This seems appropriate, as the film mocks their ghoulish interest in the events. Within seconds of the police cars driving up, crowds of people rush over to find out what is happening. Even at night-time the crowds remain thick.
The crowd shows a collective interest, and some members of the public cannot help wanting to take the limelight themselves. While talking to the police, Sonny is tackled by the boyfriend of one of his hostages. A pizza deliverer gives his order to Sonny, and then proudly turns to the cameras and yells, "I'm a f**king star." Sonny is astonished when he receives an anonymous call asking him to kill the hostages.
The result is a film that looks tough and gritty, even though it contains virtually no violence. What keeps the film exciting is that it combines humour and drama, and it takes an unconventional approach to the heist film whilst making it seem totally believable.
I wrote a longer appreciation (with spoilers) of Dog Day Afternoon on my blog page if you would like to read more of my thoughts: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/24/23
Full Review
Adam H
Interesting to watch, now, in terms of Sonny's discovery of himself, mid-robbery, as a charismatic, mediagenic figure, igniting anti-cop populism, who then turns out to be gay, which changes but does not erase how the crowd sees him. It feels like a stab at a different populism for a different America, instead of the one presaged by Joe, The French Connection, and Taxi Driver, which feels like the America I've actually come to know in the last 50 years. I wish I had grown up in an America that responds more like the crowd in Dog Day Afternoon.
I want to watch this with a critical eye alongside Network. Though pacing-wise, while it has some great moments, I'm less likely to revisit it than some other 70s crime favorites ... it's sort of excruciating. Which I guess is partly the point.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
08/22/23
Full Review
Dave M
Watched in London on August 29th 2023 as part of of the BFI's Be Gay Do Crime series. The film really stands up well after so many years. The print looked and sounded great, and the audience loved it. Simply one of the greatest films of all time.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/29/23
Full Review
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