Sleepers, the imperfect nature of justice

Barry Levinson took audiences to dark depths with 1996's Sleepers, an unflinching story about the abuse of power and the resilience of friendship, based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel of the same name.

Set in the Bronx of the 1960s and present-day New York, the film delved into childhood trauma and its never-to-be-over scars through a taut thriller centered on four friends.

Kevin Bacon dominated every scene as the monstrous guard torturing the boys in a reform school. His menace permeated to the bone.

But the strength came from Levinson's reliance on ensemble chemistry. You believed in the protective brotherhood of Veri, Lorenzo, John and Tommy coming to grips with their past.

Levinson balanced trauma with hope through grounded humanism and New York streets seen as never before. His direction maintained intensity while honoring emotional truths.

Sleepers shakes you, but reaffirms you in the imperfect nature of justice. Questions linger as the spirit of the characters survives against the odds in one of the decade's most poignant crime dramas.

With a superlative cast - Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Billy Crudup, Robert De Niro, Minnie Driver, Ron Eldard, Vittorio Gassman, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Levinson at his best - Sleepers is one of his finest works.

Its scars have yet to fade for those it affected.

Kevin Bacon received a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his terrifying portrayal of the corrupt guard Winston.

Robert De Niro and the entire cast also impressed, suggesting that Sleepers would have swept the awards...had it not been an ultra-dark true-crime movie that pushes the envelope.

Commercially, Sleepers was a huge success, grossing $103 million on a $25 million budget. It proved that sophisticated audiences flocked to serious cinema if it was promoted well.

Its unflinching examination of abuse struck a chord. International grosses topped $161 million.