“The robbery should have taken 10 minutes. 4 hours later, the bank was like a circus sideshow. 8 hours later, it was the hottest thing on live T.V. 12 hours later, it was history. And it’s all true.“

Robbers John Wojtowicz, Salvatore Naturile, and Robert Westenberg did make history, but so does Sidney Lumet in this luminous work, perfectly highlighting the struggles of everyone in a broken system that glorifies violence and fame while ignoring those that need help. Yet, despite this heavy subject matter, Dog Day Afternoon is constantly humorous and an easy watch throughout its runtime. This is a quintessential New York film – it wouldn’t work as well if it took place anywhere else. The humor works because this is exactly how New York reacted to the real life event – A bank robbery by a bi man to pay for his lover’s sex operation is just another afternoon in the Big Apple. 

Yes,all of this representation seems very ahead of its time for a film released in 1975. Nevertheless, Sidney Lumet always handles every character with the utmost respect; every character is portrayed in a supremely compassionate and humane manner. This is par for the course with Lumet, a director who from the start has been tackling important societal issues. From 12 Angry Men’s rallying cry against prejudice to Network’s sharp critique of the decline of journalism, it is clear throughout Dog Day Afternoon that Lumet is an incredibly empathetic director, and this empathy shines throughout the whole movie. Nobody is portrayed as a villain, everybody is only trying to get through this difficult situation. 

Despite how much the audience is rooting for the robbers to make it through unscathed by the end, their downfall is inevitable. It’s been written in history, it’s been the ticking time bomb the audience has been expecting since the movie started. Yet, the final sequence remains forever heartbreaking, devastating, agonizing. The jovial tone comes screeching to a halt as the audience is given a harsh reminder that anybody who fights the system will eventually be silenced. Dog Day Afternoon is simultaneously a harsh reminder that authority figures are not your friends, an astringent critique of media spreading misinformation for higher viewership, a deeply empathetic film to everyone’s everyday struggles, a riotous comedy, a roller coaster of emotions, Lumet’s magnum opus, and a watch that will stick with you for the rest of your life.