Post by klep on Nov 26, 2018 8:08:36 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/26: Dog Day Afternoon
HEIST WEEK!
In the more fun heist films - your Ocean's and so forth - the heist goes well and everybody gets what they want. Dog Day Afternoon is not one of those films.
In Dog Day Afternoon the heist goes bad almost immediately. Sonny (Al Pacino) isn't stupid; he has some idea of how to go about the heist and he's familiar with banks like the one he's trying to rob. But he's still woefully underprepared and so is his crew. One of the trio bails almost as soon as they've gotten started, Sonny struggles to get his gun out of the box, and he doesn't have good information about what he'll be able to score. It's never clear exactly what tips off the cops, but it's still no surprise when they show.
Except, that is, to Sonny and Sal (John Cazale), who are immediately devastated. Sal remains a bundle of nerves for the rest of the film, but Sonny pulls himself together and tries to figure a way out of the now hostage situation. All he has going for him is his own smarts and considerable charisma. He's able to get the gathering crowd on his side, and it frustrates police efforts to maintain control of the situation.
It doesn't hurt that Sonny is a nice guy. He genuinely doesn't want anyone to get hurt, and is very solicitous of the needs of his hostages. As a result, a nice camaraderie develops in the bank. No one forgets why they're there, but they realize they're all trapped in a bad situation together and seem determined to make the most of it. They even seem to hope Sal and Sonny get away - or at least don't get killed.
About halfway through the film we learn that he's just trying to get the money to pay for his wife's sex-change surgery. Sonny can't get the money any legitimate way, so this is what he had to do. The film doesn't make a big deal out of the reveal of Sonny's sexuality; it's just a part of who he is. All the people we meet from Sonny's life paint a picture of a man who has little control over his life - his mother is domineering, his ex-wife never lets him get a word in edgewise, and Leon (Chris Sarandon) is drifting away from him. This robbery is a desperate attempt to reclaim what little solace Sonny had found in his life.
Lumet's film is remarkably naturalistic and compassionate. It keeps us firmly grounded in Sonny's perspective and stays almost entirely in the confines of the bank. He wants us to see Sonny as a person, and not just as a bank robber with a weird story. In fact, it's very hard not to want him to succeed. The tragedy is that Sonny was never really going to be a danger to anyone, but no one outside the bank could know that. Eventually the luck that kept him and Sal alive had to run out. And with the hostages tearfully rescued and Sonny in cuffs, he's forced to watch the consequences of his decision wheeled away.
Join us next week for our discussion of this legendary film from John Carpenter, and one of the best street fights in movie history. They Live is available for digital rent purchase in most places, but I could only find it free for Prime members with a Starz add-on.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 11/27: Thief
The Chicago-based podcast turns its eyes on its own city starting next week with a pair of heist films set in the Windy City. First up is Michael Mann's brilliant Thief. We'll have an essay up on Mann's thrilling debut on Wednesday. Thief is available for rent on Vudu.
HEIST WEEK!
In the more fun heist films - your Ocean's and so forth - the heist goes well and everybody gets what they want. Dog Day Afternoon is not one of those films.
In Dog Day Afternoon the heist goes bad almost immediately. Sonny (Al Pacino) isn't stupid; he has some idea of how to go about the heist and he's familiar with banks like the one he's trying to rob. But he's still woefully underprepared and so is his crew. One of the trio bails almost as soon as they've gotten started, Sonny struggles to get his gun out of the box, and he doesn't have good information about what he'll be able to score. It's never clear exactly what tips off the cops, but it's still no surprise when they show.
Except, that is, to Sonny and Sal (John Cazale), who are immediately devastated. Sal remains a bundle of nerves for the rest of the film, but Sonny pulls himself together and tries to figure a way out of the now hostage situation. All he has going for him is his own smarts and considerable charisma. He's able to get the gathering crowd on his side, and it frustrates police efforts to maintain control of the situation.
It doesn't hurt that Sonny is a nice guy. He genuinely doesn't want anyone to get hurt, and is very solicitous of the needs of his hostages. As a result, a nice camaraderie develops in the bank. No one forgets why they're there, but they realize they're all trapped in a bad situation together and seem determined to make the most of it. They even seem to hope Sal and Sonny get away - or at least don't get killed.
About halfway through the film we learn that he's just trying to get the money to pay for his wife's sex-change surgery. Sonny can't get the money any legitimate way, so this is what he had to do. The film doesn't make a big deal out of the reveal of Sonny's sexuality; it's just a part of who he is. All the people we meet from Sonny's life paint a picture of a man who has little control over his life - his mother is domineering, his ex-wife never lets him get a word in edgewise, and Leon (Chris Sarandon) is drifting away from him. This robbery is a desperate attempt to reclaim what little solace Sonny had found in his life.
Lumet's film is remarkably naturalistic and compassionate. It keeps us firmly grounded in Sonny's perspective and stays almost entirely in the confines of the bank. He wants us to see Sonny as a person, and not just as a bank robber with a weird story. In fact, it's very hard not to want him to succeed. The tragedy is that Sonny was never really going to be a danger to anyone, but no one outside the bank could know that. Eventually the luck that kept him and Sal alive had to run out. And with the hostages tearfully rescued and Sonny in cuffs, he's forced to watch the consequences of his decision wheeled away.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 12/3: They Live
CONSUMERISM WEEK!Join us next week for our discussion of this legendary film from John Carpenter, and one of the best street fights in movie history. They Live is available for digital rent purchase in most places, but I could only find it free for Prime members with a Starz add-on.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 11/27: Thief
The Chicago-based podcast turns its eyes on its own city starting next week with a pair of heist films set in the Windy City. First up is Michael Mann's brilliant Thief. We'll have an essay up on Mann's thrilling debut on Wednesday. Thief is available for rent on Vudu.