Pacino and the1970's setting stand out in this movie classic

Rating: Null/10 (6 January 2018)

I was delighted to get Dog Day Afternoon as a Christmas gift. I still watch DVDs and thank goodness for them. Other than TCM, there is only a slim chance of viewing this movie on television.
Finally getting to see the movie and its star Al Pacino was a bigger treat than I expected. Watching this robbery/hostage drama made me feel like I was right there minute by minute as the story unfolded. Sidney Lumet, a director of so many great movies set in New York, knew the territory.
The movie is set in 1970s Brooklyn and it captures the squalor and the mood of one New York neighbourhood. At the time, New York was dealing with crime, bankruptcy, racial strife and the loss of faith in government. Pacino, playing Sonny, is an unemployed Italian-American in a failing marriage. Part of the story is an alliance he builds with neighbours who cheer for him as he is surrounded by police, FBI, and media reporters.
John Cazale plays his buddy Sal and Charles Durning is the seasoned police chief caught in a highly charged standoff between the police and the supportive crowd who cheer on the hostage takers. The full cast is great.
Glad I finally saw this movie, which I can now add to the many other great movies I've seen from the 1970's. Highly recommend.