Actors: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Lance Henriksen, Sully Boyar, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Dog Day Afternoon
Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) attempts to rob a bank with his partner Sal (John Cazale) in Brooklyn, NY. The plan gets botched and the quick bank robbery then turns into a hostage situation. The scene then turns into a media circus as television crews show up at the bank. Sonny does his best to negotiate his way out of the predicament. This film is based on the real life story of John Wojtowicz, who attempted to rob a Chase Manhattan bank in Bay Ridge Brooklyn in 1972. He was trying to get money for his lover Ernest Aron, so he could have a sex change operation.
--Bobby Blades, Resident Scholar
DOG DAY AFTERNOON, based on a true story, is a movie directed by Sidney Lumet in 1975. Academy award for Frank Pierson in the best original screenplay category.
1972, NYC. Two losers, Sonny and Sal, attack a bank in Brooklyn. But the hold-up goes wrong and soon both men are trapped in the bank with the employees. The police and the F.B.I. try to find a solution while Sonny and Sal dream of flying to Algeria with the hostages.
Superb performances of Al Pacino and John Cazale.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Analysis of Dog Day Afternoon
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 45% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 45%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Crime & Police Story?
Yes
Crime story:
- criminal kidnappers
If this is a criminal POV story...
- Armed robbery!
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- criminal
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
- wild
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- short/standard wavy (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) very short/crewcut
Body type
- very skinny (man)
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- government investigator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
Misc setting
- building
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
How many deaths in film?
- 1
Kind of violence:
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- A lot of foul language
