Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, and Charles
Durning
Dog Day Afternoon is based on bank robbery that took
place in Brooklyn in the seventies. Sonny
(Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) attempt a bank robbery. Things go awry however when they find that
the daily cash pickup has already taken place, and only $1,100 remains in the
bank vault. Without any money, Sonny and
Sal take the bank employees as hostages, and the police get involved in the
matter. This failed robbery becomes a
media spectacle as the two thieves try and get themselves out of this tough
situation.
The
seventies and the nineties were the two greatest decades for film ever. Sidney Lumet’s classic Dog Day Afternoon shows us just why. The movie gives us the ideal example of great
character development. The film captures
the internal workings of a hostage situation and the personal connections that
can develop in such a short time. As we
get to know Sonny, Sal, and the ladies at the bank, the film continuously builds
suspense and intensity. Al Pacino, fresh
from reprising his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part II, delivers an unforgettable performance as
the erratic bisexual robber Sonny. Dog Day Afternoon undeniably deserves a
sober rating and shows us how great a film can truly be.
