While re-visiting the film Dog Day Afternoon (1975) recently, I was struck anew by the sheer artistry of its opening montage. Set against Elton John's song Amoreena, the film immediately evokes the scorching heat and heady atmosphere of a typical summer afternoon in 1970s New York. Other than Elton John’s song over the opening credits, the film doesn’t have a music score. This critically acclaimed biographical crime drama film, directed by Sidney Lumet, features a stellar cast including Al Pacino, John Cazale, Chris Sarandon, James Broderick, and Charles Durning. Pacino delivers an electrifying and impassioned performance as a gay bank robber desperately attempting to raise the funds needed for his partner's (played by Sarandon) transgender surgery. Al Pacino & Charles Durning Chris Sarandon, with Durning and James Broderick John Cazale & Pacino