Al Pacino, in Dog Day Afternoon

[Pete1111]

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) is currently streaming on FLIX.   There are other free platforms such as Kanopy and Tubi. 
If you are a huge Al Pacino fan like me, IMO you need to watch this film again.

If you have not seen the movie then come back after you've seen it, to avoid the spoilers.

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When I am impressed by a movie I search for Roger Ebert's review to see if he agreed.   Ebert gave Dog Day Afternoon 3.5 /4 stars.  I figured he would appreciate it (RIP).

The world has changed a lot since the 70's.  There may be aspects of the film that go over people's heads, such as the Attica prison and the Vietnam references.   

However, most of the themes of the film have aged well.   The story is quirky, yet based on an actual event, a bank robbery in NYC.

Today one might frame Sonny as queer.  I found a review that said he was bisexual.   Ebert referred to Sonny as complex.   

I love the line in the movie where Sonny explains to Sal not to worry too much about the TV news calling them homosexuals.   

All of the folks in Sonny's life are impossible.  His parents, his wife, his boyfriend.  Sal, his bank robbery partner, seemed unstable.   Sonny's big flaw is wanting their approval instead of jettisoning all of them.   How he suffers for that is played so well by Pacino.  Although Sonny looks mostly frazzled throughout the film, Pacino's beauty shines through.  Those eyes.

He won a BAFTA for lead actor.  Maybe it's no surprise the Brits were fine with awarding Pacino for playing a queer role in a film with political undertones.  The Oscars rejected the idea of a queer, Vietnam vet, bank robber, anti hero character.  

I have never run across queer entertainment that lists Dog Day Afternoon as a queer film.   Yet, the film is not just another queer story.   It's much more than that.  Perhaps that is why the vlogs and blogs overlook it. 

That we are in Pride month, it might be apropos to watch Dog Day Afternoon.  I recommend it. Especially if you are a film buff or a Pacino fan.

 

 

[omega]

I've always wondered why this film was never really considered a queer movie.

It's a really good movie, Pacino plays the role brilliantly. I highly recommend.