One of the finest films of the 1970s. A bisexual man, Sonny (Pacino), to finance a sex-change operation for his transvestite lover (Sarandon), robs the First Savings Bank of Brooklyn with his moronic friend Sal (Cazale). Police, headed by Moretti (Durning), surround the bank and hold the
thieves inside who, in turn, hold employees and customers as hostages. Through it all Sonny carries on endless phone conversations with his obese wife (Peretz), his lover, and assorted police and FBI officials. At one point, while releasing a female hostage, Sonny notices the large crowds outside,
watching from behind barriers as if at a carnival. To enlist mob sympathy he begins to shout "Attica! Attica!" (the name of the New York prison where authorities inflicted heavy casualties on rioting prisoners). The crowd picks up the chant, decidedly favoring the bank robbers. Ultimately,
however, Sonny threatens to begin shooting hostages unless he and Sal are given $1 million and taken to the airport where they will be flown to a distant country. (When Sonny asks his dim friend what country he wants to go to, the non compos mentis thief replies, "Wyoming.") Sonny and Sal's
getaway attempt brings this remarkable film to its simmering finale.
DOG DAY AFTERNOON benefits immeasurably from a cast and crew doing some of the finest work of their careers. In a role based on actual incident, Pacino is both funny and tragic as the uneducated, passionate street tough over his head in a lethal situation of his own making. In difficult roles,
Cazale and Sarandon are similarly superb, and even those actors on more familiar ground (Durning, Broderick, Peretz) contribute sterling support. The taut script and Lumet's exceptionally disciplined and insightful direction highlight both the suspense and the absurdity of the situation
beautifully. The heavy use of off-color language and scorching violence if anything adds to the ultimate sympathy this memorable film successfully evokes. leave a comment
