Sleepers

Details

The story begins in 1960s New York where four teenage boys grow up together in the tough neighbourhood of Hell's Kitchen. Surrounded by crime, gangsters and corruption, the boys survive by relying on each other and the loose guidance of the local priest, Father Bobby.

Although they are heading down the familiar slippery slope towards petty crime and trouble, they are still young enough for their adventures to be little more than mischievous pranks. However, one prank goes disastrously wrong when a hot dog cart pushed into the street causes a man to be fatally struck by a subway train.

The boys are sent to a juvenile reform school where their lives take a dark and brutal turn. Under the control of sadistic guards, including the vicious Sean Nokes, the boys are subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse which leaves deep scars that will follow them into adulthood.

Years later two of the boys unexpectedly encounter Nokes in a bar and shoot him dead in cold blood. The remaining members of the group must now reunite and attempt to defend the killers in court, exposing the horrific events of their past while confronting the system that failed them all those years earlier.

Picture & Sound

The picture is rich with warm colouring, particularly evident during the opening scenes set in 1960s New York. However, the transfer does show some signs of grain and occasional artifacting. Considering this was one of the earlier DVD releases on the market these issues can perhaps be forgiven, and overall the presentation still stands up reasonably well for its time.

As expected for a dialogue-driven drama, the soundtrack is fairly restrained. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is handled well, with clear and well-balanced dialogue throughout. Surround activity is minimal, but in a film of this nature there is little need for elaborate sound design.

Overall

Sleepers is a powerful and unsettling drama that explores themes of friendship, justice and revenge. The film moves between two timelines, gradually revealing how a single childhood mistake and the horrors that followed shaped the lives of these four men.

The performances are excellent across the board. The younger actors provide a convincing foundation for the story, while the adult cast - including Brad Pitt, Jason Patric and Billy Crudup - carry the emotional weight of the film's later chapters. Particularly memorable are the chilling performances from Kevin Bacon as the sadistic guard Sean Nokes and Dustin Hoffman as the reluctant lawyer drawn into the case.

The story itself is supposedly adapted from the real-life experiences of author Lorenzo Carcaterra, although the authenticity of the claims was later strongly disputed by New York authorities. Whether entirely true or not, the film remains a disturbing and thought-provoking look at how childhood trauma can shape the course of a person's life.

Sleepers is not an easy film to watch, but it is a compelling and well-acted drama that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Special features

• Biography Booklet