For Friday 14 December 2007

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

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On Friday 14 December 2007, you'll see Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975) to study further how mise-en-scene works in a film. The film will be studied for its use of deep-focus cinematography to develop its theme of class relationships in a big city and create tension and suspense during the prolonged holdup of a bank.
    At the same time, you will observe how staging and open framing create a naturalistic reality to the film appropriate to its subject matter (a real-life robbery). Whether based on facts or not, the film makes use of the bank interior and the relation of the bank to the street outside, with its mix of spectators. It also makes use of the single-day time span, from day to night.
    Ironically, the events for the duration of the robbery seem more vibrant or lively than the final defeat of the robbers.

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