Based on a true story, Sidney Lumet's movie is one of the best crime dramas in a decade that was full of them. A critical and commercial success, Dog Day Afternoon earned over $50m on a $1.8m budget and was nominated for six Academy Awards and seven Golden Globes. Al Pacino gives one of the best performances of his career as the would-be bank robber who finds himself increasingly out of his depth as an all-night hostage situation unfolds around him. An expertly constructed movie, the circumstances surrounding the botched robbery continually escalate; the entire bank is taken hostage, the police surround the building, and a large crowd gathers before the media arrive to provide news coverage. Throughout the course of the narrative, a satirical element creeps in as the bank robbers become something akin to antiheroes, forming a connection with the masses outside. Tensions escalate as the two protagonists start to run out of ideas on how to escape, as the FBI begins to take control of the situation. Set during a blisteringly hot day, the temperature mirrors the situation both inside and outside the bank as tensions start to boil over on both sides. Touching on themes of desperation, the public's morbid fascination with dangerous situations, media exploitation and even gay rights, Dog Day Afternoon is an incredibly effective snapshot of 1970s New York that is well-written, confidently directed, expertly edited and brilliantly acted.
I don't do social media, so like or follow me in person but please maintain a safe distance or the authorities will be notified. Don't snap me though, I'll probably break. I was once labelled a misogynist on this very site in a twenty paragraph-long rant for daring to speak ill of the Twilight franchise. I stand by what I said, it's crap.
