The character of Sonny in the heist movie Dog Day Afternoon (Lumet, 1975), played wonderfully by Al Pacino, is a young troubled man who has difficulty fitting within a society that generally does not accept him. In Sidney Lumet's acclaimed movie, which is based on true events, Sonny and his friend Sal attempt to rob a bank yet it unintentionally turns into a media event that brings to light many facets, not only of the characters but of their generation and society as well.
The Motive behind the Bank Robbery and the Issue of Homosexuality
When Sonny, a Vietnam veteran, is asked by the media why he is robbing the bank, he falters for a moment. Then he explains the difficulty of finding a job if one is not educated and accredited, especially when one is not part of any unions. Furthermore, he claims that wages are too low for most people like him to make ends meet, so that his robbery is meant to bring in quick money.
Nonetheless, it becomes apparent that a major incentive for the bank robbery was Leon, Sonny's homosexual lover. Leon was told that he is "trapped in a woman's body" and, as a result, Sonny wants to get enough money to fund a sex change operation for his partner. Sonny himself is bisexual: He is married to Angela with two children and is at the same time legally married to Leon.
As the media finds out about the homosexual relationship and crowds gather in front of the bank, a “simple” bank robbery suddenly turns into a political issue. Various people of the gay community congregate to show support for Sonny, while others oppose him and make fun of him. Particularly in those times, the 70s, there was little social acceptance of alternate sexual lifestyles, which ended up causing greater alienation in Sonny's personal life.
Police Brutality and the Case of the Prison Revolt in Attica
When Sonny steps out of the bank and sees the horde of police officers pointing their guns at him, he makes a passionate reference to the prison revolt in Attica, New York, in 1971, where a racially-linked prison revolt was met with unprecedented police brutality. A total of 39 people, among them correction staff and civilian employees, were killed. As a result, the police became unpopular during those times and Sonny manages to stimulate the anger and frustration of the crowds by shouting “Attica” many times. It affected regular police efforts and procedures combined with the fact that the media was continuously present.
Sonny then is not only a rebel in his sexual lifestyle, but he becomes willy-nilly a symbol of resistance against police brutality and government control and oppression that was a trademark of the decades of the 60s and 70s. Many within the crowd may have sympathized with the bank robber and actually interpreted the bank robbery as a political statement against the wealthy and powerful establishment.
The Black Sheep of the Family and Personal Problems
In fact, Sonny is not only rejected by mainstream society when it comes to jobs and lifestyle, he is also rejected by his parents. In an encounter with his mother, he is told that his father does not want to talk to him and does not consider him his son anymore. Sonny complains that they simply do not understand him. In fact, he had previously complained about the same issue to his wife Angela over the phone.
Sonny feels himself misunderstood by all those around him and he constantly complains that he is “dying.” The burdens of life and society seem overwhelming to this person who would have preferred to steal the money of the robbery and live out the rest of his life in Algeria, the place he wanted the jet to take him to.
Readers may also enjoy Milk, Gay Rights, and Hegel's Dialectic Method, The Social Network and Portrayal of Facebook`s Founder Zuckerberg, and The Play with Reality in Christopher Nolan`s Memento & Inception.
Arash Farzaneh - Arash Farzaneh is a writer and a language professor. He has a Master's degree in French literature with a minor in Psychology. Since his ...
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