Saturday, July 6, 3:00 p.m. & Wednesday, July 10, 6:00 p.m. | On a sweaty, August afternoon, inexperienced criminal Sonny (Al Pacino) and his accomplice Sal (John Cazale) attempt to rob a bank in Brooklyn. Things go wrong from the start, and the hapless crooks find themselves in an increasingly intense pressure cooker as they take hostages and as the media and FBI descend on the scene. Pacino delivers an electric performance as a queer man motivated by love, and Cazele is brilliantly understated as Sonny’s quietly anxious but loyal brother in crime. Lumet delivers a relentless chronicle of desperation, expertly navigating between the chaos of an active crime scene, to the pain of an intimate phone conversation between Sonny and his lover, Leon. Humidity and doom seep through the screen in one of the most powerful films of the 1970s.

Awards & Nominations

Winner - Best Original Screenplay, Academy Awards
Nominee - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Chris Sarandon), Best Director, Best Editing, Academy Awards
Winner - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

Sidney Lumet Centennial: Sidney Lumet (1924–2011) was a director driven by stories of morality. Corrupt systems vs. brave protagonists, the worst of men pitted against the best, honesty in the face of hypocrisy—Lumet’s filmography reflects his dedication to championing what is true and what is just in this harsh world. To celebrate his centennial, we present 12 films by the Oscar-winning filmmaker, June 1–August 21. View full series. 

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu