Every dog has its day – or at least an afternoon

Five decades later, Dog Day Afternoon – directed by Sidney Lumet and based on a true story – could debatably be more resonant and relevant than it was upon its release in September 1975. Exploring powerful themes of desperation, media spectacle, and social bias, the film centers on Sonny (Al Pacino), who, along with his partner Sal (John Cazale), attempts to rob a Brooklyn bank to pay for his lover Leon’s (Chris Sarandon) gender-affirming surgery, only for the heist to spiral into a chaotic hostage standoff. As the tense situation unfolds, Sonny tries to negotiate with police detective Sgt. Moretti (Charles Durning) while dealing with growing media attention and the emotional strain of his personal life. Also featuring James Broderick as FBI agent Sheldon, the film blends dark humor with social commentary, making it both a gripping thriller and a human drama.

To listen to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of Dog Day Afternoon, conducted last week, click here. (If you get an error message, simply try refreshing the page.)

Dog Day Afternoon stands as a high point in the careers of its creators, potentially representing Lumet’s most accomplished direction and featuring perhaps the most memorable and powerful performances ever delivered by Al Pacino and John Cazale. (That’s especially high praise for Cazale, who was practically perfect in each of the five masterpieces he appeared in before dying of cancer: The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, this film, and The Deer Hunter.)

This work often plays as a comedy but ends as a tragedy, all the while ticking away as a fine psychological drama and mild thriller filled with fine performances and fascinating characters that were hallmarks of early 1970s cinema. The movie has a lot to say about the power of the media, sociocultural politics, LGBTQ awareness, and the deep state of mistrust and pessimism that pervaded our culture in the mid-1970s.

It tackles the subject of a gay relationship with honesty and matter-of-factness. For a mainstream film released in 1975, it was groundbreaking in portraying a queer relationship at the center of its story without ridicule or sensationalism, instead treating Sonny’s love for his partner as a deeply human motivation that audiences could empathize with.

The picture is considered relatively authentic and fairly accurate because it closely follows the real 1972 Brooklyn bank robbery by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson stayed faithful to the main events, including the hostage situation, tense negotiations, and chaotic interactions with police and the media. Pacino’s Sonny reflects Wojtowicz’s personality and motives (he also bears an uncanny resemblance), particularly his efforts to fund his partner’s gender-affirming surgery. It achieves a striking authenticity by grounding itself in this true story and real environments. Filmed on location in New York with natural lighting, a documentary-like style, and improvisational performances, the movie captures the immediacy and unpredictability of real life, blurring the line between drama and reality in a way that still feels fresh 50 years later.

It features no traditional musical score, instead relying on atmosphere and natural sound. The absence of a composed soundtrack heightens the realism and tension, making the viewer feel as though they are truly inside the unfolding events. The only song used—Elton John’s “Amoreena” in the opening, which is revealed to be playing on the radio inside the getaway car, making it diegetic music—sets the everyday New York mood before the chaos begins, making the contrast even more striking.

This film certainly tells us a lot about life in America 50 years ago. It embraces an anti-authoritarian theme that critiques the political climate of the 1970s. By spotlighting police aggression, public distrust of institutions, and the lingering disillusionment of the Watergate and Vietnam eras, the film tapped into widespread anxieties of its time, giving it both topical urgency and lasting relevance. Through tense interactions with police, the film critiques law enforcement and bureaucratic inefficiency.

According to DVD Savant critic Glenn Erickson: “Sonny, a Vietnam vet, displays a paranoia and distrust of authority that was the hallmark of the era. It may be one of the most famous scenes in film history, but Sonny's "ATTICA! ATTICA!" tirade, inspired by a notorious prison riot that ended with officers shooting numerous prisoners in the back, speaks to his disgust with law enforcement and the system in general. The robbery may have happened in August 1972, only two months after the Watergate break-in, but by the time the film was produced, Nixon was out and Sonny's view of authority was no longer counter-culture mysticism; It was a mainstream public view.”

Dog Day Afternoon "captures perfectly the zeitgeist of the early 1970s, a time when optimism was scraping rock bottom and John Wojtowicz was as good a hero as we could come up with,” wrote critic Christopher Null.

Consider that Sonny is the first openly gay/bisexual character featured in a Hollywood movie, and Pacino is the first major American star to ever play a gay/bisexual man. Dog Day Afternoon broke new ground by presenting a gay relationship as a central, fully human element of the narrative of a feature film—something rarely seen in mainstream films of the 1970s. Sonny’s sexuality is treated matter-of-factly, and his love for his partner drives his actions, giving the character depth and complexity rather than reducing him to a stereotype. Likewise, the gay character of Leon – superbly played by Sarandon – is presented with nuance and sensitivity minus clichés or caricature.

Additionally, Dog Day Afternoon deviated from the conventions of earlier heist films and debatably reshaped how crime dramas were made. Shot with handheld cameras, natural lighting, and overlapping dialogue, it adopted a documentary-like realism that gave the story a raw, authentic feel and inspired later films like Heat and Inside Man to ground their crime narratives similarly.

Rather than focusing on the mechanics of a slickly executed robbery, the film centered on the flawed humanity of its characters, with Al Pacino’s Sonny portrayed not as a criminal mastermind but as an ordinary man trapped in extraordinary circumstances—a character-driven approach echoed in The Town and Hell or High Water.

At the same time, Lumet infused the story with social and political themes of the 1970s, touching on distrust of authority, media spectacle, and LGBTQ+ identity. This willingness to mix social critique with genre storytelling influenced later socially conscious thrillers such as John Q. The film was ahead of its time, too, in portraying the robbery as a media circus, with television cameras and public spectacle becoming part of the drama, a motif that resonates in Inside Man. Some credit this film with actually prefiguring the later rise of reality TV, especially in the scene where the pizza deliveryman yells, “I’m a star!” Pacino remarked: “That was the first time that kind of recognition vis à vis TV and the real world was shown. In a way, it was reality TV.”

Films that came in the wake of Dog Day Afternoon and were likely influenced by it, even if only as bank-robber stories, include Quick Change (1990), Heat (1995), John Q (2002), Inside Man (2006), The Town (2010), and Hell or High Water (2016). This work may also have influenced Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing in that both films unfold over the course of one sweltering New York summer day, both end in violence and tragedy, and both resist offering easy answers or clear-cut morals, instead leaving audiences to grapple with ambiguity and unresolved tensions.

Fortunately, the film doesn’t pander or resort to overplayed clichés or stereotypes. Ask yourself: Did you suspect Sonny of being gay before it was revealed? It shows the Sonny-Leon relationship objectively, fairly, and impartially; consider that it’s given equal time compared to Sonny’s relationship with his wife.

On the other hand, detractors would argue that this reveal functions as an intentionally shocking plot twist designed to heighten the drama at a critical point in the narrative, effectively serving up this suddenly exposed relationship as salacious melodrama. Additionally, it presents somewhat negative portrayals of Sonny’s mother and female wife. They seem to be shrill, unattractive, inattentive listeners and out of touch with his needs; some theorize that these qualities prompt Sonny to come out of the closet and prefer a gay relationship. Yet, some of the women hostages are shown as strong and brave.

Pacino expertly plays a man who stands as a fascinating study in contradictions, which is part of what makes him such a compelling character. At times, he appears to be in total control of the situation, only to quickly reveal that he has no idea what to do next. He’s both hero and anti-hero—you root for him because of his vulnerability and humanity, even while knowing he’s breaking the law. His personal life is equally complex: he has a wife and children, yet is also married to a man, and he has a straight male partner in crime. His greatest weakness is ironically his compassion, as his attempts to help others—whether his partner, the hostages, or even the crowd—consistently backfire. And while he’s cheered on by onlookers for defying authority, many in that same crowd reject him for his sexuality, which highlights the bitter irony that what he’s condemned for is not illegal, while what earns him cheers most certainly is.

Per Roger Ebert: “Sonny isn't explained or analyzed -- just presented. He becomes one of the most interesting modern movie characters, ranking with Gene Hackman's eavesdropper in "The Conversation" and Jack Nicholson's Bobby Dupea in "Five Easy Pieces."

Ponder how Sonny is a different person to everyone around him. Interestingly, he tries to satisfy everyone and solve other people’s problems, but ultimately he fails. Like Sal, Sonny’s a living paradox (for proof of the former, recall how Sal criticizes the female bank employees for smoking yet is engaged in armed robbery). Sonny is incredibly media savvy – he knows instinctively how to whip up the crowd for the cameras, get the public on his side, and make the police look like antagonists; recall how he tucks in his shirt before heading back out to face the media, and Sal even believes Sonny has the power to control the TV news. Additionally, Sonny has good instincts for ferreting out the fakers (like the undercover cop driving the bus). Yet he’s relatively clueless about where to escape to (he prefers Algeria because they have a Howard Johnson’s), and recall that he stupidly sets fire to the bank ledger, which foils their entire plan.

Sonny is aware that he’s flawed and difficult to understand, but he has confidence in himself to solve problems, even if he is not successful. He says: “I’m a fuck-up and an outcast – you come near me, you’re going to get it”; “I’m me, and I’m different, and “I speak what I feel.”

The director deserves ample credit for infusing realism into this film and lending it a docudrama feel that attempts to capture the look and tone of the mid-1970s. But not to undercut this authenticity, he intently focuses on the psychological conflict experienced by Sonny, Sal, and their captives, depicting their states of mind, stress, and personal crises with commendable sensitivity and depth. This is not an objective reenactment of a true-life bank robbery. Yes, we are shown the perspectives of law enforcement, providing needed balance, and Sonny and Sal are seen as criminals capable of violence; yet they are both humanized and presented by the filmmakers as sympathetic characters.

Consider, as well, how Lumet uses no artificial lighting, instead employing the fluorescent lights used within the bank building. And his use of quick mobile handheld camera shots, particularly in the claustrophobic confines of the bank, is particularly effective. His opening montage of real people sequences across New York City helps set the template that this is an ordinary day in the Big Apple, set during one of the dog days of summer. With the help of editor Dede Allen, Lumet uses a series of quick cuts when gunshots are fired: first when Sonny shoots at the back window, and later when Sal is shot dead. These stylistically quick edits are meant to disorient the viewer as well as the characters.

On the subject of this film, Lumet – widely regarded as an “actor’s director” – explained in his own book that “Freaks are not the freaks we think they are. We are much more connected to the outrageous behavior than we know or admit.”

“Lumet's genius here is to design the film's environment so that his outstanding cast can really embody their roles,” critic Glenn Erickson further wrote. “While much of the dialogue has an improvisational feel, the film is very carefully structured to build at a certain pace. There is a real sense of unstoppable momentum (every error made by either the robbers or the law just sends us further down the path of disaster); the film also creates the slow-burning sensation of a situation that at times just drags on.”

Lumet directed many exceptional films, including 12 Angry Men (1957), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962), The Pawnbroker (1964), Fail Safe (1964), Serpico (1973), Network (1976), and The Verdict (1982). But Dog Day Afternoon could be his crowning achievement.

Thematically, the film brilliantly explores the power of the media and the “15 minutes of fame” phenomenon. As the robbery becomes a televised spectacle, the film reveals how quickly a man driven to extremes can be turned into a folk hero or a public curiosity, foreshadowing the media-saturated culture we live in today, where public opinion is shaped in real time. For a few hours, Sal and Sonny are the new Bonnie and Clyde. In thematic terms, it’s fair to ask: does Sonny survive because he’s already been cemented as a media-anointed people’s champion, and does Sal die because he’s not as photogenic, newsworthy, or attractive to the masses?

Another moral to the story? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Perfectly encapsulating the mid-1970s, a recessionary era marked by public dissatisfaction with economic conditions and elected leaders – a time when heroes seemed hard to find and the country was suffering from post-Watergate/Vietnam malaise – Dog Day Afternoon taps into these concerns and our collective ennui. Distressed characters like Sonny and Sal are easier to understand in this sociocultural pressure cooker context. As threatening – and bumbling – as they are as bank robbers, we can sympathize with their money woes and intense desire to change their luck.

Dog Day Afternoon also examines the domino effect of doomed destiny. Just about everything goes wrong for Sonny and Sal in this comedy of errors, which sees their best-laid plans quickly turned upside down and their fates sealed from the outset. We know practically from the start that this is an unlucky pair destined to fail. But despite predicting these bad outcomes early on and being proven right, the viewer nevertheless remains enthralled by this botched crime and the cascading pressures that engulf the bank robbers.

Furthermore, the film masterfully explores social exclusion and bias, particularly homophobia and societal judgment, highlighting how marginalized individuals are mistreated or misunderstood even as they strive for recognition and acceptance.

As Spike Lee did so effectively in Do the Right Thing, Dog Day Afternoon works beautifully as a time capsule moment, depicting a particular place (New York City) on a particular day (August 22, 1972) and reflecting the moods, mores, and sensibilities of its era. Setting our protagonists in a high-pressure environment where crucial mistakes are made and multiple adversities converge upon them in a matter of hours – the hot weather, the media, local and federal authorities, and interpersonal crises from partners and lovers – this film manages to organically tighten the knot minus narrative trickery or implausible shoot-em-ups and without becoming too super-serious for its own good. Lumet appropriately adopts a humanistic approach in his rendering of Sonny and his complex personal relationships, but doesn’t turn the bank robbers into blameless victims or pitiable pawns in the system.

Perhaps Dog Day Afternoon’s single greatest gift is the phone call between Sonny and Leon, which mines incredible emotional depths to reveal their complex relationship, underscoring both tenderness and latent hostility from Sonny as well as vulnerability and pathos from Leon. The acting is off the charts, and the awkward intimacy of this moment adds poignancy, allowing us a privileged view inside Sonny’s headspace.

Dog Day Afternoon remains one of the greatest cinematic portraits in any era of a common, desperate man besieged by internal and external forces he’s responsible for setting into motion. Not quite shown in real time, we follow Sonny and Sal over several hours in one day and marvel at how quickly events unravel, circumstances change, the pressure mounts, and the public grows fascinated with this media circus. Sure, the funky fashions, public attitudes, and period trappings anchor it firmly as a product of its times, but the human drama on display remains evergreen and credible. Proud of his creation, Lumet himself said, “You're sucked into a world – quite claustrophobic – but you believe every second of it. There’s not a false moment in that movie.” 

This movie remains highly acclaimed and celebrated in the film industry. The American Film Institute has honored it on multiple fronts: it ranks at #70 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and its iconic line “Attica! Attica!” is placed at #86 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes; it was also nominated for AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies in both 1998 and 2007. The film boasts a stellar Rotten Tomatoes “Tomatometer” score of 96 percent, reflecting widespread critical acclaim, and a Popcornmeter audience score of 90%, while its Metacritic score stands at an impressive 86 out of 100. It won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Frank Pierson and was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Lumet), Best Actor (Pacino), Best Supporting Actor (Sarandon), and Best Film Editing (Allen).