Emily Chang

Film History
Brian Shelton
20 July 2020

Dog Day Afternoon

Loosely based on an actual bank robbery, ​Dog Day Afternoon n​ avigates a tense few

hours with high stakes, tense dialogue, strangely endearing characters, and brilliant acting. While

the film is considered to be a crime drama, it could almost be a tragic comedy. Al Pacino runs

the show, leading the movie by himself and taking the audience in with him. Director Sidney

Lumet keeps tensions high in order to draw the audience directly into the atmosphere of that day,

where no one knows what will happen next. As Sonny tries to get himself out of this mess, the

absence of music adds to the feeling of the film, further adding to the realism of the movie.

Perhaps the very first thing to comment on is Al Pacino and his incredible acting.

Without him leading the film, it may not have been the success that it was. Embodying Sonny in

a natural, motivated way, Pacino holds not only the FBI and the Police Chief in his hands, but

also the audience. Several moments stand out, including when Sonny runs out screaming

‘Attica!’ at the gathering crowd around the bank, creating such a fervor and rise out of the crowd

that it causes the officials to stand back. Another is the monologue in which he writes his will,

detailing certain amounts to both his wives. The moment serves as a sad reflection of his

character, the life he lived, and those he loved. It brings a weird sense of humanity to the

character, which is revealed only through Pacino’s vulnerability and ease. He carried the entire

movie on his back, never faltering and leading with a solid performance. Perhaps the best

moments are when Sonny almost loses himself, and how much he tries to hold it back. When he
is finally taken away and sees Sal’s body go by, the anguish and pure defeat is clear on his face.

Pacino captures that split second where Sonny believes he is actually going to make it out, and

for a second makes the audience believe the same. Suddenly, they don’t know the conclusion to

this story, and have no choice but to see it play out.

One of the biggest factors of this movie is the lack of music and orchestration in the

background. When viewing the film, it feels almost as if one is watching a long news coverage

of the situation because of its realistic feeling. Adding to that is the choice to not include a lot of

music in order to not dramatize the situation and instead let it play out as if it was happening

right in front of everyone’s eyes. It’s a choice that is definitely risky, but it pays off in ​Dog Day

Afternoon. ​Filling the silent space of no music is the acting, the dialogue, and the grit of the

situation. The silence also adds to the tension of the scenes; there is no cushion for the audience

to rely on to help them diffuse the situation. It makes the loud yelling, gunshots, and phone rings

that much more piercing, as well as the quiet moments of reflection and thinking that much more

quiet. It’s a tactic that works to the advantage of the movie as a whole.

Overall, ​Dog Day Afternoon ​proves to be a well done film, thanks to its cast and

direction. Worth a final mention is the themes it brings up, such as the main character somewhat

identifying as gay and another character being transgender. These topics were difficult to

navigate back in 1975 when the film was released, and it shows itself within the movie. Those

defining characteristics of those characters are almost used against them, with the sex change

surgery being a potential ‘motivator’ for Sonny and the complications with him and his wife. It is

interesting to watch that play out in today’s times, and see how carefully the movie trotted
around those topics. Perhaps audiences can learn from the exposure of these characters and the

use of their identity in this situation and this movie.