"Anything can happen during the dog days of summer. On August 22nd, 1972, everything did."
Dog Day Afternoon - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Attica! Attica!
— Sonny Wortzik
Context:
Sonny screams this chant at the police and the growing crowd outside the bank after realizing the police are moving in on him. He feels cornered and betrayed, and his outburst electrifies the onlookers, turning the tense standoff into a public rally against the authorities.
Meaning:
This is the film's most iconic line, an improvised cry that connects Sonny's personal rebellion to the larger struggle against state oppression. By invoking the 1971 Attica Prison riot, a brutal and deadly event, Sonny frames himself as a victim of a violent system, instantly gaining the sympathy of the crowd and cementing his status as an anti-establishment folk hero.
Is there any special country you wanna go to?
— Sonny Wortzik to Sal Naturile
Context:
During a moment of negotiation, Sonny asks Sal where he'd like to be flown to once they get a plane. The conversation happens inside the bank as they discuss their demands with the police, revealing the fantastical and ultimately doomed nature of their aspirations.
Meaning:
This exchange reveals the tragic naivety at the heart of their plan. Sal's quiet, deadpan response, "Wyoming," underscores how unprepared and out of his depth he is. Wyoming not being a country is a moment of dark, pathetic humor that highlights Sal's simple-mindedness and the utter hopelessness of their dream of escape. The line, ad-libbed by John Cazale, perfectly encapsulates his character.
Kiss me. When I'm being fucked, I like to get kissed a lot.
— Sonny Wortzik
Context:
Sonny says this during his emotionally charged phone conversation with Leon, who has been brought to the scene by the police from a psychiatric hospital. The call is a raw, painful negotiation of their broken relationship, and this line is Sonny's desperate attempt to reconnect on an intimate level.
Meaning:
This raw, vulnerable line spoken to Leon over the phone encapsulates Sonny's desperation and the complex dynamic of his and Leon's relationship. It's a plea for intimacy and affection in a moment of utter humiliation and defeat. The line powerfully conveys his feeling of being metaphorically (and soon, literally) 'fucked' by the situation and his need for a human connection amidst the chaos.
I'm a Catholic, and I don't want to hurt anybody.
— Sonny Wortzik
Context:
Sonny says this to the bank manager, Mulvaney, at the very beginning of the robbery when he suspects the manager is trying to trigger a silent alarm. It's an attempt to assert control while simultaneously reassuring his victim (and himself) that he is not a killer.
Meaning:
This line, spoken early in the robbery, establishes Sonny's fundamental internal conflict. Despite committing a violent felony, he sees himself as a moral person who is being forced into this situation. It highlights his self-perception as a good person doing a bad thing for the right reasons, a theme that runs through the entire film as he consistently shows concern for the hostages' well-being.