Review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Melvin W — 26 Dec 2011

Sonny: Bank robbing is a federal offense. You got me on kidnapping, armed robbery. You're gonna bury me, man! .

"Anything can happen during the dog days of summer. On August 22nd, 1972, everything did".

Sidney Lumet made the best bank robbery film ever with Dog Day Afternoon. The film is an amazing look at a true life bank robbery gone wrong. The story is deeper than the robbers just wanting money. The scene of the robbery looks like a music festival. There are crowds of citizens who cheer on Sonny. There are cops everywhere, itching at the chance to put a bullet in a Sonny's head. Inside isn't as hectic as you would think a bank robbery would be. Some of  The bank employees are actually enjoying themselves to a certain degree. One even refuses the offer of leaving. .

Sonny and his pal Sal walk into a bank around closing time and begin what they believe to be a simple robbery, but a few mistakes turn it into a media frenzy. Sonny says they are leaving, but gets a call from a police officer telling him they are surrounded. Outside are hundreds of officers. They are on roofs, fire escapes, outside of windows, and they all have guns and we all know what they want to do with them. From here, it is a bargaining game, but one of the more interesting and entertaining bargaining games you could watch. Family adds drama to the whole situation, as does a gay lover, but the film never falls into the traps those extra details could have caused.

Al Pacino gives one of the best performances of his long career. That is saying something because the guy gave some crazy good performances. The rest of the cast is amazing too. I don't recognize many faces from the cast, but they all turn in convincing performances. What makes this a extraordinary film though, is Sidney Lumet's masterful direction. He knows exactly how to show every detail of the robbery. He doesn't just show what the cops are doing, or just what Sonny is doing; he shows it all. He shows the media, the family, the cops, the hostages and Sonny. All of which serve a vital purpose in telling this story. To leave any of it out would have been irresponsible.

The more Lumet I watch, the more fascinated I am with him. This is one of my favorites from him, side by side with Running On Empty. I don't think Dog Day Afternoon will ever be matched when it comes to bank robbery films. Most movies like this get distracted with unimportant scenes where the clock is running out. This isn't a fast paced action film, it is a drama, which is how most robberies like this take place. There are negotiations and when there is violence it is quick and anti-climactic. Lumet uses this knowledge to his advantage to make an extremely realistic bank robbery movie.

Sonny: Is there any special country you wanna go to? .

Sal: Wyoming. .

Sonny: Sal, Wyoming's not a country. .