A Bank Robbery Turned Media Circus

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2011)

Al Pacino starred in four films prior to this film namely: The Panic In The Needle Park,The Godfather,Serpico and The Godfather Part II. Apparently,it was in his fourth starring picture,Dog Day Afternoon is where he got his real confidence on-screen.It was in this picture that cemented his place in Hollywood for the next forty years as one of the greatest actors not only in his generation but of the industry by playing the role of Sonny Wortzik,a complex bisexual bank robber in this film.
Dog Day Afternoon is a film inspired by P.F. Kluge's article that tells a story of the robbery of a Brooklyn bank by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile in 1972.It stars Al Pacino together with John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon and Carol Kane.The movie was directed by Sidney Lumet,who this around time allowed Al Pacino release his acting abilities and potential to the fullest after working together initially in a film before entitled,Serpico.
Dog Day Afternoon chronicles a unique bank robbery on a hot summer afternoon in New York City. Shortly before closing time, scheming loser Sonny and his slow-witted buddy, Sal,played by excellently John Cazale,burst into a Brooklyn bank for what should be a run-of-the-mill robbery, but everything goes wrong, beginning with the fact that there is almost no money in the bank. The situation swiftly escalates, as Sonny and Sal take hostages; enough cops to police the tristate area surround the bank; a large Sonny-sympathetic crowd gathers to watch; the media arrive to complete the circus; and police captain Moretti,portrayed by Charles Durning,tries to negotiate with Sonny while keeping the volatile spectacle under control. When Sonny's lover, Leon that was portrayed by Chris Sarandon, tries to talk Sonny out of the bank, we learn the robbery's motive: to finance Leon's sex-change operation. Sonny demands a plane to escape, but the end is near once menacingly cool FBI agent Sheldon arrives to take over the negotiations.
The movie had great performances.That is true especially from Pacino,who showed intense acting and complex emotions as Sonny.He showed varied emotions as a bumbling first time bank robber,a loving bisexual who showed concerned to both his wife and his lover,an intelligent strategist and most of all,a hysterical human being.He definitely portrayed his role as realistically as possible that an Oscar nomination was only deserving. The same is true with Sarandon,who garnered also an Academy Award nomination for their portrayal in the film.Aside from that,Lumet's excellent and outstanding direction was just worth of the mention.
Aside from the performances,the themes touched by the movie was also in cohesion and were never out of place inspite of its variety such as homosexuality,a bank robbery media circus,people wanting to be shown live on TV,family and sex transplant.The screenplay by Frank Pierson was able to put everything together in one marvelous story that he truly deserves of an Oscar for that movie.
Dog Day Afternoon just deserves its place as one of the best films not only in the decade it was released but of all-time just as Pacino cemented his place as one of the best actors in history.