Customer Reviews
Why isn't this more well known? - By: Student Viewer, 14 Aug 2008 
I hadn't heard of this film until i became a big Al Pacino fan recently. I watched it for the first time the other day not expecting much but i absolutely loved every minute of it.
The acting is brilliant & the films funny & moving. It didn't seem dated at alll.
I'm surprised there are not more reviews of this film on here (although there are over 100 on amazons american site). The extras are interesting too with a documentary including casting, filming etc info.
Watch it!
Brilliant Film - By: Ms. Hr Jackson, 03 Dec 2007 I am utterly convinced that this is Pacino's best performance, to the point where nobody could convince me otherwise! This film is literallly brimming with energy & the acting is pretty much impeccable. It's got drama, humour, & a poignant ending. You end up feeling like you knew the central characters, particularly Pacino's ever optimistic Sonny. Watch this at least once, you won't regret it.
Pacino does comedy - By: B. W. Jenner, 11 Oct 2007 
I keep thinking I have seen alll Al Pacino's great films, & then I discover Dog Day Afternoon. This film shows Al developing the strand in his character that is amplified to such brilliant effect in Scarface & Carlito's Way. He's a sensitive & intelligent rebel, getting by in a way that endears himself to us.
The scenario would make a good theatre farce, two inexperienced bank robbers trying to deal with a situation that has got out of their depth. Lots of absurdity. My only problem with the film was that I don't think Pacino is very convincing as a bisexual character.
Perfection from Pacino !!! - By: G. Kyriacou, 26 Sep 2007 I saw this film many years ago, & recently watched it again. It is still as good as ever. It is very rare that Al Pacino makes a bad movie. He is a legendary actor, & nearly every performance is Oscar worthy. Yes I have much passion for Pacino, he is an amazing actor. Theatre or film, Al Pacino delivers.
This is a fantastic film, based on a true story. I dont want to give too much away. Superb performances from the great John Cazale, & Chris Saradon. A very good cast.
The scene of Al Pacino taunting the Police, & gaining the crowds respect, is legendary. The Sexy dark eyed Pacino, acts to Perfection in this film.
Highly recommended.
a classic from 70s, one of Pacino's best performances... - By: H. Serkan SILAHSOR, 13 Aug 2007 Recently I encountered a TV review with Al Pacino (at 2004 Golden Globe ceremony perhaps), where he was asked to tell the names of three greatest films in his career. The answer: "Serpico", "Scarecrow", & "Dog Day Afternoon"
Directed by veteran director Sidney Lumet, "Dog Day Afternoon" captures masterfully the social & political zeitgeist of the early 1970s, where optimism & morale was shaking due to post-Vietnam trauma, cynicism, new wave of Communist threat, distrust of any authority, oil crisis & imminent stagnation in economy. In this background, humane but equallly awkward Sonny Wortzik (played by Al Pacino) come on the scene as an ANTI-HERO with a Brooklyn bank robbery, which would end up with a real tragedy.
The movie have them alll: robbery, hostages, negotiations, ineptness, cunningness, frustration, deception & death. The direction & characterizations are sharp & brilliant. Lumet makes perfect use out of limited locations. Although 80 percent of the movie takes place inside the bank, there's never a dull or wasted moment. It is beautifully scripted & shot alll along. Pacino gives a stellar performance as Sonny, one of the most interesting movie characters in motion picture history. Performances of John Cazale as Sonny's sociopathic accomplice, Sal & Charles Durning as Detective Moretti were wondrous too.
I must admit that this is a kind of movie that reallly does deserve special edition treatment. Eventuallly, this new 30th-Anniversary 2-disc edition has a great collection of extras. Most notably, it contains a commentary by Sidney Lumet which is amazing to hear from that great director. Second disc has an extensive documentary "The Making of Dog Day Afternoon" that consists of 4 featurettes (including interviews with Lumet, Pacino, Durning & Sarandon) that can be viewed separately or altogether. Not just Lumet or Pacino fans, this is a must have for any movie collector.
