MovieChat Forums > Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Discussion > Boring and overrated

Boring and overrated

posted 11 years ago by Jimothy3
19 replies | jump to latest

I don't get the fuss with this movie. Very good acting from the central characters aside, what makes it so special?

It was uninvolving, without any real sense of danger or tension, until the moment the two bank robbers got into their getaway vehicle. Most of the goings on outside the bank were cheesy and over-dramatic. How accurate was it to the real events it was based on?

None of the characters were particularly likable and that goes for the members of the public too. I cared nothing for the hostages, and how could you when they were treating the situation like a party atmosphere? Maybe that's a realistic portrayal of the people that were involved but where exactly does it leave you when you can't feel anything for the characters?

[–] MortimerSpice 11 years ago

I agree. I just came to this board to see if anyone else thought this was boring

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 11 years ago

I wouldn't call the film boring at all, it just sounds more like it wasn't what you were expecting.

And I enjoy the contrast of the severity of the situation vs. how the hostages and crowd are reacting to it. That's the whole point, people romanticize even the most horrible things.

"Can it be that they are mad themselves who call me mad?"

[–] esenada 11 years ago

Well that's interesting because nobody particularly likes or cares what happens to you.

[–] vh8686 11 years ago

The movie is based on actual events with only small narrative liberties taken. It wasn't meant to be tense but rather comical and ironic. Though the robbers in real life held the people in the bank hostage, they all had bonded during the whole ordeal. Some of the hostages even said they had a good time because it was exciting and broke them out of their ritual lives for a time.

It's not typically how you'd expect the hostage-taker/hostage relationship dynamic to play out, but that's what it did.

It also happened during a time when there was a lot of police corruption and brutality so some people watching it on TV were captivated by Pacino's character.

I suppose it says something about the bonds of humanity and the amicability of criminals in a way. The cops are really the bad guys here even though they're the ones who are doing what they're supposed to.

Maybe you've seen other films like this, but Dog Day Afternoon was first and the best.

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 11 years ago

It wasn't meant to be tense but rather comical and ironic.

That's the thing. Nowadays audiences are under this mistaken impression that tense automatically equals deep and anything remotely humorous is automatically labeled childish. People think calling something "cheesy" makes them sound grown up, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Adolescents worry about looking childish, not adults. And our society has become very adolescent in many ways.

I can only hope future generations eventually get sick of it and learn to take a joke again, heh.

"Can it be that they are mad themselves who call me mad?"

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dcorraljr 11 years ago

This is a true story? What year did it happen?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 11 years ago

It happened in 1972.

"The Bank Robbery That Would Become 'Dog Day Afternoon'"
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/03/the_bank_robber.php

"'Why not?' Michael said. 'Why won't there ever be an Italian president, Fredo?'"

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

What a good article. Thanks for posting it and sharing it with us.

[–] pedroburbankado 8 years ago

There are only 2 gunshots fired. and one death. For those conditioned to todays rediculous action movies, a truly great movie, with the tension this film provides, I can see someone, as yourself, being bored. I'll take Dog Day Afternoon over every Arnold movie ever made.... people are far more frightening than Cyborgs!

[–] dvl86 8 years ago

Yeah, this movie was pretty boring. Maybe when it first came out it was a bank robbery movie, oh how exciting. But now that's just old hat.

[–] Betaspaniel 8 years ago

Maybe when it first came out it was a bank robbery movie, oh how exciting.

You miss the point if you think it's a "bank robbery movie" or supposed to be "exciting" like some dumb action movie. And you really miss the point if you think anyone saw it that way at the time

[–] [email protected] (2017) 6 months ago

This was not meant to be exciting, even back then. It's based on real events and you'll notice everyone, including Sal, is presented positively, the ad guys are the fbi agents. It's even light hearted at many moments and this allows you to open up to the chemistry and dynamic between the robbers and hostages.

[–] Jones70 (6582) 3 years ago

I’ve always loved it. Just so we’ll acted.