Dog Day Afternoon

This was the first time I had seen Dog Day Afternoon (directed by Sidney Lumet.) I thought it was interesting that the title of the film in no way gave me any inclination to what the film was about or it’s content and meaning, in my opinion. But I enjoyed it.

Al Pacino’s portrayal of Sonny was outstanding. I really thought it interesting that only halfway through the movie do we learn that Sonny is gay, or bi-sexual. Once I learned that, I could hear it a little more in his voice. I liked Sonny’s character and the way he dealt with the police. The way he used the crowd outside to keep the police at bay was smart. It was also relevant to the times as he brings the crowd to a chant of “Attica! Attica!”

The 70’s were also a relevant time for homosexuality as it was when the subject started to come to the forefront and out of obscurity where it had been before. It really had more meaning too after hearing Jeff Kliment’s presentation about his tribulations as a gay man during his younger years. I thought it interesting that when he was living in Chicago, before moving to San Francisco, that homosexuality was still very much not in the public eye. And also that he found he was able to connect to the outside world of others like him when he found a bookshop that was geared towards homosexuality.