What many viewers of Sleepers seem to over look is the system of morals which allowed the abuse of wives, of which no one seems to care. The boys seem quite accepting of their fathers beating up their Mothers. The Mothers are, like the boys, part of system where they're trapped. Women had to suffer this abuse as divorce was not an option as pay inequality, lack of opportunities and the binding sanctity of marriage prevented this.
It is interesting that the abuse of the women in this film is a backdrop to the abuse of the boys; symbolising the secondary nature of womens' suffering at the hands of brutal, cruel and sadistic men. Accordingly the film's director, Barry Levison is actually confronting the audience with a set of moral dilemmas. Child abuse is abhorrent yet the abuse of women by their husbands is acceptable!
Likewise the director confronts the audience with the ideas of torture and whether in certain moral systems and situations it's permissible as in the reform school guard's opinion when he asks the lawyer to define torture. To the reform school guard it was an acceptable way of discipline as it was a part of his own childhood. This was the remnants of Victorian society whereby cruel forms of discipline over children and women were viewed as a positively good method of keeping them them in line! This is commented on in David Copperfield by the great British Victorian novelist Charles Dickens.
Other moral dilemmas the film looks at includes the question of American values of personal revenge over societies' collective legal responsibility. This utilitarian perspective of ' the greater good' is further put to the audience by the director of the film via the Catholic priest's willingness to lie on oath for personal justice of his charges. The priest is left to question whether telling lies can be justified and thereby bursting asunder all his Catholic beliefs and values.
Therefore the film's director is very clever the way he juxtaposes violence against women with boys and ideas of discipline and abuse whilst confronting us with the cliché 'two wrongs don't make a right' moral dilemma in American cultural ideas of revenge and justice.
Acting Kudos goes without doubt to Kevin Bacon as the sadistic guard, Vittorio Gassman as Mafia boss King Benny played by him in a none stereotypical way as seen in The Godfather trilogy of films. Acting kudos also goes to Dustan Hoffman's restrained performance as the broken, yet clever lawyer, and his ability to illustrate the tenuous ambiguity of law, and, of course, to Robert De Nero as the Catholic Priest. There is almost a tangible mutual admiration of their respective acting talents from both Hoffman and De Nero which is obvious when they act together in a the scene where De Nero as the Catholic priest takes the stand in court.
Finally kudos goes to director Barry Levison for his excellent multi-layered film direction in three acts. This director makes it not merely a film for a passive audience, but a one for them to confront themselves with morals, value systems, duty and responsibility to their fellow human beings and citizens of their country.
It is interesting that the abuse of the women in this film is a backdrop to the abuse of the boys; symbolising the secondary nature of womens' suffering at the hands of brutal, cruel and sadistic men. Accordingly the film's director, Barry Levison is actually confronting the audience with a set of moral dilemmas. Child abuse is abhorrent yet the abuse of women by their husbands is acceptable!
Likewise the director confronts the audience with the ideas of torture and whether in certain moral systems and situations it's permissible as in the reform school guard's opinion when he asks the lawyer to define torture. To the reform school guard it was an acceptable way of discipline as it was a part of his own childhood. This was the remnants of Victorian society whereby cruel forms of discipline over children and women were viewed as a positively good method of keeping them them in line! This is commented on in David Copperfield by the great British Victorian novelist Charles Dickens.
Other moral dilemmas the film looks at includes the question of American values of personal revenge over societies' collective legal responsibility. This utilitarian perspective of ' the greater good' is further put to the audience by the director of the film via the Catholic priest's willingness to lie on oath for personal justice of his charges. The priest is left to question whether telling lies can be justified and thereby bursting asunder all his Catholic beliefs and values.
Therefore the film's director is very clever the way he juxtaposes violence against women with boys and ideas of discipline and abuse whilst confronting us with the cliché 'two wrongs don't make a right' moral dilemma in American cultural ideas of revenge and justice.
Acting Kudos goes without doubt to Kevin Bacon as the sadistic guard, Vittorio Gassman as Mafia boss King Benny played by him in a none stereotypical way as seen in The Godfather trilogy of films. Acting kudos also goes to Dustan Hoffman's restrained performance as the broken, yet clever lawyer, and his ability to illustrate the tenuous ambiguity of law, and, of course, to Robert De Nero as the Catholic Priest. There is almost a tangible mutual admiration of their respective acting talents from both Hoffman and De Nero which is obvious when they act together in a the scene where De Nero as the Catholic priest takes the stand in court.
Finally kudos goes to director Barry Levison for his excellent multi-layered film direction in three acts. This director makes it not merely a film for a passive audience, but a one for them to confront themselves with morals, value systems, duty and responsibility to their fellow human beings and citizens of their country.