Almost 30 years after its release, Sleepers still remains a topic of discussion not only in its dark storytelling but also in the responses it elicited initially once it found its way into the theatres. Under the direction of Barry Levinson and a strong performance by Robert De Niro, the 1996 movie fills an intriguing niche in the history of Hollywood. It is praised and criticized and has been seen as both a great storyteller and as a questionable moral position. Today, when the film is ready to receive a new release in new formats, Levinson has been able to take a step back and consider the controversy that used to accompany the film, and he admits feeling somewhat baffled by just how strong the backlash was.
Fundamentally, Sleepers is a narrative of trauma, justice and gray areas between right and wrong. It is based on a gang of childhood friends whose lives are forever changed when, following a violent event, they find themselves in a juvenile detention center, where they are abused. As adults years later they demand justice in a manner that questions the traditional morality. The story is so serious, emotionally tense and admittedly awkward at some points, which is why perhaps, it was a challenge to receive it in its full extent by the audience in the 1990s.
Levinson is however confused by the magnitude of the criticism. In a recent interview, he said, looking back at the film, Why does film get stuck in this loop of whether something happened or not? It was a tale. Not the most out-of-this-world oddity you ever conceived. His message is that he is frustrated by the expectations of audiences and critics that demand some type of realism or moral clarity particularly when a movie goes into a sensitive realm. To Levinson, Sleepers was never to be a statement of fact, but a narrative exploration, a view which he thinks may have been lost upon at the time.
The character of De Niro, a priest, was one of the most controversial aspects of the film which is very important in the courtroom drama that is developed further in the second half of the film. The character testifies in a critical moment, but not fully truthfully, and, in the end, this makes their protagonists gain their freedom. This act, although at the center of the resolution of the film, was a subject of heated discussion among its viewers and even critics. Was it justified? Was it a breach of justice system integrity? Or was it a necessary narrative element to put into focus the failures of that very system?
Levinson seems to be inclined towards the second meaning. He has opined that the criticism of this element of the film might have overshadowed the other themes of the film. I did not quite understand what noise was at that time made. It in a sense deprives the piece of what it is. It does not have to be authenticated in that sense in order that we can listen to it. His quote identifies a greater issue regarding the way the audience receives storytelling, especially when it is unethical. To him, the movie was never intended to be some kind of moral compass but an exploration of what it means to be human.
In retrospect, it can be said that Sleepers was released at a time when cultural context had a significant influence. The mid-1990s was a time when the audience was perhaps not as used to a story that unashamedly dealt with moral ambiguity. Movies that showed the difference between right and wrong were easily accepted and those that were indiscriminate were easily questioned. Nowadays, however, this complexity has not only become more widespread but is frequently praised. In that regard, Sleepers might have been ahead of its time and had a narrative depth that viewers have since become more at ease with.
Something can be said about the emotional weight of the film as well. Traumatic stories, especially those that involve abuse and institutional neglect, may be hard to digest. The discomfort might have been translated into criticism to many viewers as a means of alienating themselves to the disturbing realities shown on screen. Those thoughts by Levinson imply that this response, though it can be explained, could have brought about a misunderstanding of the intentions of the film.
Reflecting on Sleepers now, it could be said that it is time to reevaluate its position in the history of cinema. The factors that used to generate controversy can now be looked upon in a more sophisticated perspective, with the benefit of hindsight. The acting of De Niro, especially, is a strong representation of a character torn between beliefs, allegiance, and the urge to right wrongs. His actions in the story can be viewed as a critique of the flawed nature of human decisions rather than being viewed as problematic.
The fact that the movie is now going to be re-released in better versions will probably expose the film to a new generation of movie goers, most of whom will not view the movie with the same preconception that influenced the way the movie was initially received. This new attitude might result in a more objective assessment of the merits of the movie, using its narration and acting as well as its willingness to address challenging issues.
