MovieChat Forums > Sleepers (1996) Discussion > How likely is is.....? (SPOILERS)

How likely is is.....? (SPOILERS)

posted 15 years ago by cookiela2001
33 replies | jump to latest

1.) That these 4 homosexual/bisexual pedophiles would end up all working at the same institution, and conveniently work the same shift? (Ritual child abusers, despite how often they appear in the news, are not really that common when you consider the entire population. Plus, there are fewer homosexuals/bisexuals than straights in general, so that makes it even more of a stretch.)

2.) That you could count on one of them to immediately crack under pressure on the stand, and confess everything? (The movie keeps telling us how "brilliant" Brad Pitt's master plan is, but it seems to be built on a lot of luck.)

3.) That 2 experienced criminals/killers wouldn't wait outside a restaurant for their prey to leave, and kill him there...rather than open fire inside a restaurant where people know them?

[–] LaneMarie88 13 years ago

Good points. I believe this whole story is pure fiction.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/1996-11-03/entertainment/18010076_1_lo renzo-carcaterra-reform-school-hell-s-kitchen...

A Marine's Daughter
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[–] orangewarm 12 years ago

Well OP, I have a theory on your first point. It seems that pedophiles are attracted to positions/jobs of this kind -- vulnerable children/ children not likely to be believed. Of course, some abusers are worse than others but the weak ones tend to follow the strong ones. Its a similar situation to the Abu Graib prison incidents in Iraq. Power corrupts. I believe a scientist showed this also - forget his name. Even if you started out as a decent person, a level of authority over someone can corrupt you.

As this movie comes from a novel, I agree with you on the final two points. They are just plot points to make the story interesting/believable.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] latinraiders781 9 years ago

They were doing it for years these weren't their first victims. You have to rememberthey aren't the only guards abusing boys. The odds of 4 child molesters is possible. Think about how many guards work in a big facility that held hundreds maybe thousands of boys per shift. When several cops in real life shoved a plunger up Louimaa's ass it wasn't meant as a sexual act it was to torture him.

[–] Noirdame79 8 years ago

People need to stop throwing in the word "gay" with pedophile. The one has nothing to do with the other. Are men who molest young girls referred to as "straight pedophiles"? Of course not. There is a simple reason why some predators target boys specifically (and there are some who will victimize children of both genders) - boys are less likely to tell, and less likely to be believed. And of course, Nokes and the other guards felt the need to dominate the boys because they couldn't fight back. In the book, Shakes notes that their power only existed within the walls at Wilkinson. Had they been in Hell's Kitchen or anywhere out in the world they would have no power whatsoever and would just be simpering cowards. He also says that each guard chose one boy specifically as their "pet" or target. Nokes abused all of them but he chose Michael to abuse most of all because Michael was his group leader, as Nokes was. Fergueson reserved his rage for John (in the book, it is revealed that John was frail due to being born with a hole in his heart) because Fergueson had been weak and sickly as a kid also and saw himself in John. Styler selected Tommy to mistreat because he also came from a poor family. Addison saw himself in Shakes and for that reason used him as a physical and verbal punching bag.

[–] Tyler-A-Arse 8 years ago

1. I agree. The odds of that happening have be almost off the charts.

2. And he luckily got the one who would crack? Yeah, right. Lots of luck there.

3. Exactly.