For our second and last entry for Pride Month, I thought it was very important to refer to this film. Although it isn’t considered as a LGBTQ+ production, I decided to analyze this film for two reasons. Firstly, it was considered unusual and groundbreaking for its time (1975). It was unheard of to produce a film with the central theme being a bank robbery, with the reason being the robber’s partner to use the money to surgically change their gender. Additionally, to a large extent, it showed how minorities were treated at the time by the media and the world in general, as is evident when the true motive of the robbery was revealed during the film.

Movie Information:

Genre:
Biographical / Crime Drama

Main Cast:
Al Pacino
John Cazale
James Broderick
Charles Durning

Distributed By:
Warner Bros.

Duration:
2 hours and 5 minutes

Movie Rating:
9.0/10

Movie Plot:

In Brooklyn, New York, during the midst of an absolute heat wave, there is a bank robbery. The two robbers, Sonny and Sal, are determined in less than ten minutes to leave the bank with as much money as they can. However, things begin to take a nightmarish turn for them, when a small fire breaks out in the bank. With smoke coming out, the citizens outside call the fire brigade. Soon after the police are immediately called. Sonny and Sal are inside the bank with the hostages who were there when the robbery started, while the police forces arrive outside ready to negotiate and intervene. At the same time, people keep coming to the scene, and TV crews have turned the robbery into the number one TV product in New York, especially when it is revealed that the real motive for the robbery was to secure money for Sonny’s partner, Leon, so that he can have surgery to change his gender and then flee abroad.

Directing and Writing:

Although the film is for the most part shot inside the bank, Lumet manages to keep the viewer’s interest undiminished. When the police cut off the bank’s electricity, as a means of pressure, resulting in the robbers and hostages being trapped, the director masterfully manages to convey how suffocating the bank’s atmosphere is during the heat wave. I would argue that the director’s goal was to show how Sonny’s relationship with Leon turned into a product for consumption, especially when his wife appeared, who didn’t have the slightest suspicion of her husband’s relationship.

This film is one of the first in the world that showed the love and sacrifices of a man for his partner, taking into account the conditions that minorities faced at the time. Lumet gave a revolutionary and resistant tone to the film, by making the robbers fiercely resist the forces of repression. Sonny, at one point started passionately shouting ”Attica! Attica! Attica!”, while the people outside the bank began applaud. This references the inmates of Attica Prison in 1971 who demanded better living conditions, by occupying it. Many of their requests were denied and in a few hours, they began fighting with the police, resulting in serious consequences.

Characters:

The heart of the film consists of Sonny and Sal. At the beginning of the story, Sonny is full of energy and determined to achieve his goal, but the revelations about his sexuality, as well as his failing strength make him increasingly vulnerable. Sal, on the other hand, is cold, quiet and we learn very little about his life. However, he is committed to his goal and seems emotionally stronger than Sonny. Sonny’s wife seems to mentally distraught, being influenced by the revelations about her husband and her life that has been turned into a TV series. All the while Leon, Sonny’s partner, is disgusted with Sonny’s actions and takes it out on him. Last but not least is Special Agent Sheldon, who with his strictness and exuberant presence, who makes the robbers realize that their adventure is about to end, without any further room for negotiation.

To a large extent, this movie showed how minorities were treated at the time by the media and the world in general, as is evident when the true motive of the robbery was revealed during the film.

Despite his actions being noble, I believe that Sonny is shown as a mentally confused man. The reason being that he does not know how to show his love due to his extremist methods, as well as being often violent towards his partner Leon. Despite it all, he does not lose his optimism that he will succeed, although he is physically and mentally exhausted.

Overall, Dog Day Afternoon may be an unconventional choice for our first Pride selection. However, its theme is both timeless and relevant. It doesn’t matter how one would categorize it, what is important is that it is a work of art ahead of its time, and it shows how love is an awesome and destructive motivator.

Written by Takis Konstantinopoulos