Sleeper tells the story of a man who, after 200 years of cryogenic suspension, is awakened and finds himself in a totalitarian police state. In this scene, Woody Allen’s character has just been pulled by government agents from his hiding place: an “orgasmatron,” a computerized booth device that provides erotic satisfaction to the user — thus eliminating the need for participation in real sexual activity.
by Pierre de Plume
Woody Allen’s 1973 comedy Sleeper depicts an oddly dystopian utopia. The film further demonstrates that futuristic science fiction also can be funny. In this his fifth effort as director/writer/actor, Allen continues to define his pattern of honoring the traditions of film icons and styles of the past. In this case, these include his incorporation of the trademarks of comedians Bob Hope and Groucho Marx, as well as nods to earlier notables such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and even the Keystone Cops — all with a heavy helping of slapstick.
If one conducts a ranking of films by genre, the criteria of high achievement likely includes whether the film enriches or expands its genre. On the one hand, Sleeper has given us entertainment that is reminiscently familiar and pleasantly light in tone. On the other hand, Allen also has utilized the cinematic tools of science fiction to create biting social and political commentary that nevertheless is deceptively simple in its presentation.
Relying significantly on both the dictates and freedoms of science fiction, Allen uses Sleeper to lay bare the comic absurdity of a dystopian society 200 years into the future. But by further tapping into the genre’s potential, Allen also reflects back to a contemporary 1970s society whose values seem to be fragmenting and maybe even devolving: During the time while Sleeper was being written and produced, the world was engulfed in major political and social change. During 1973, the backdrop for Americans was a disintegration of authority and institutions about to tread the wake of the Watergate scandal to the unprecedented resignation of “law and order” president Richard Nixon.
In other words, after a summer of watching the Senate Watergate hearings on network television, American audiences needed something to laugh about. Judging by this film’s positive critical and popular reception, Allen’s sci-fi comedy set two centuries into the future apparently was remote enough in people’s minds to keep their thoughts turned away from the chaotic, surreal realities of 1973.
To achieve a futuristic look, Woody Allen shot on location in and around Denver, Colo., where he found many examples — both residential and institutional — of modernistic architecture. This image of an elliptical curved structure named the Sculptural House appears early in the film as headquarters for the rogue doctors who have revived Allen from cryostasis.
Story and Premise. The plot of Sleeper is pretty straightforward: The movie begins as Miles Monroe (Allen) is being revived by doctors from cryogenic suspension. He learns that the year is 2173. His last memory — as proprietor of the Happy Carrot Health Food Store in Greenwich Village — is having entered hospital 200 years earlier for treatment of a peptic ulcer. The surgery went awry, however, and Miles was cryogenically frozen. He discovers that this strange, new world is a totalitarian police state where each individual’s identity is computer-coded and catalogued by the watchful government. As the populace takes pleasure in leisure and an unknowingly complacent existence, day-to-day chores are relegated to an army of plastic robots (“the Janus 414”) dressed as butlers.
The doctors who have revived Miles hold sympathies toward an anti government rebel faction. They try to persuade a reluctant Miles to seek out the rebels, whose encampment is located in the remote “Western sector.” Because the authorities are unable to track Miles’ movements like they can do with everyone else, the doctors implore him to search for information of a top-secret government program called the “Aries Project.”
Miles and the doctors are caught by surprise, however, by Federation Security officers. During the ensuing chase, Miles leaps for cover into a commercial “Domesticon” van that turns out to be stocked with robots set for delivery. He soon finds himself in the domestic employ — as a robot — of affluent poet and greeting card author Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton) who at first is clueless as to her new robot’s true identity. Eventually Luna discovers that Miles is not only human but a fugitive, so Miles kidnaps her so she cannot alert the police. But when Luna finds out the police intend to “decontaminate” her just like Miles, both of them flee — accompanied by the buoyant strains of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band — and join the rebel cause.
Sleeper is the second of eight films in which Woody Allen and Diane Keaton appeared together. The comic tension in most of them relies heavily on interplay between Allen’s nebbish, neurotic persona and Keaton’s vacuous but charming appeal. The story of this film provides another layer in which Allen battles cowardice in the face of duty (“I’m not really the heroic type — I was beaten up by Quakers”) while Keaton transforms from emotionally devoid banality (“God spelled backwards is dog — it makes you think”) to become a politically awakened woman with feelings and a purpose.
Use of Visuals for Aesthetic and Thematic Effect
Production Design and Planning. To prepare for his film, Allen consulted with science fiction authors Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova to strengthen the scientific feasibility of his vision for a futuristic setting. To design the film’s overall look, Allen hired Dale Hennesy, who had won the art direction Oscar for Fantastic Voyage (1966). Allen originally had hoped to shoot on location in Brasilia, a planned city founded in 1960 as Brazil’s capital. Although Brasilia was home to numerous modernistic structures that would have served the film well, budgetary limitations compelled Allen to abandon filming abroad.
Architecture. Allen eventually settled on Colorado for much of the location shooting as the Denver area was home to several modernistic structures to simulate a futuristic setting. Architectural works appearing in the film include the Sculptural House designed by Charles Deaton (pictured above), the Varner House and Currigan Exhibition Hall both by James Ream, the Church of the Risen Christ by James Sudler, the National Center for Atmospheric Research by I. M. Pei, the Brenton House by Charles Haertling, and the Mile Hi Church of Religious Science by Charles Deaton (pictured below). For additional photographs of the architecture in the film, a link is provided at the end of this article.
After Miles is captured by Federation Security and successfully brainwashed, he is seen here in the parking lot of a local McDonald’s. Note the sign under the golden arch, which reads: “Over 795,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 served.” The scene was filmed at the Mile Hi Church of Religious Science.
Costuming and Sets. Included among director/producer Joel Schumacher’s film credits is the role of costume designer for Sleeper. While the film’s authority figures are shown to wear tight-fitting costumes — security officers in red, guards in black — people at leisure are costumed in long, loose-fitting and flowing gowns and kaftans most often in white and suggestive of the attire worn by ancient Romans. In a party scene, uncredited actor George Furth appears in a garment with a large inverted swastika sewn onto its breast. In another scene set in the home of a flamboyantly gay couple (“Just sit down right here, you little cutie!”), the equally flamboyant butler (“Here’s your silly old hydrovac suit!”) wears a white lace apron.
As a director, Woody Allen is known for completing his films on schedule and within budget. This was not the case for Sleeper, however, reportedly because of the numerous delays brought about by the many sci-fi–inspired gadgets and props featured in the film. These include the single-seated jetpack Allen uses in trying to fly away from the police; an inflatable hydrovac suit that, when punctured by a bullet, propels him and Keaton across a pond; various robots, including a robotic dog named Rags and a Jewish tailor voiced by comedian Jackie Mason; pod cars; explosives; and various simulated computers and screens, including a videosphere (helmet-shaped TV) that Keaton uses as a videophone.
In the film’s climactic sequence, a talking medical computer (the “Biocentral Computer Series 2100”) features prominently in the action. Reminiscent of the iconic “HAL 9000” in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the device no doubt references that film because the actor performing the voiceover — Douglas Rain — is the same actor used in both films. All of these painstaking efforts enhance the look and plausibility of the film, often injecting humor.
Although the color palette of Sleeper is dominated by sleek whites and grays, the film’s visual design features striking accents through the selective use of primary colors, including police uniforms (red), beauty pageant contestants in swimsuits (blue), computers and cosmetics (green), and architectural lighting (yellow). This pattern extends to details such as the color of beverages (red and green) depicted in this shot. The cylindrical object at right is the orgasmatron (sex machine) mentioned above.
A Screenplay with Humor and Meaning. As noted, director Allen conferred with science fiction experts to achieve plausibility and credibility with the genre. Co-written with Marshall Brickman (who collaborated with Allen on three subsequent films, including the Oscar-winning Annie Hall), the story originally was envisioned by Allen as two films: the first taking place in present-day New York and the second occurring in the future. This idea was rejected by United Artists. The result is a film whose setting may be the future but whose wacky humor also takes aim at the present.
The title and basic premise of the film most likely are a reference to The Sleeper Awakes, the 1910 novel by H. G. Wells based on his earlier serialization, When the Sleeper Wakes. Allen perhaps found humor in the story by Wells, a socialist, in which a London man awakens after 203 years of sleep to find himself the wealthiest man in the world because of compound interest on his bank accounts: After Miles learns that he has been asleep for 200 years, he quips, “I bought Polaroid at 7 — it’s probably worth millions by now.”
Earlier sequences in the film — before Luna discovers Miles’ true identity — focus more on character and feature much of the film’s incisive commentary on and thinly veiled satire of present-day society. The screenplay presents Luna as a way to poke fun at the 1970s as a narcissistic “Me” decade. In Luna’s world, her priorities include making sure the “aromatron” is properly set before her party begins so that she can unworriedly share with guests her “orb,” a spherical ball that brings nirvanic pleasure to all who hold it. Luna lives in a depersonalized world where cities are called “population centers.” Her society is one in which no one has sexual problems because “everybody’s frigid” and “men are impotent — except those whose ancestors are Italian.”
A perfect context for Allen to make humorous but scathing observations of 1970s culture is the scene in which doctors interview Miles about the very few artifacts that remain from the “old world”: When asked about author Norman Mailer, Miles responds that Mailer “donated his ego to Harvard Medical School.” Evangelist Billy Graham “knew God personally” and “they were romantically linked for awhile.” Miles later learns that 20th-century civilization was destroyed by war when Albert Shanker, an aggressive and controversial labor union activist, “got hold of a nuclear warhead.”
When Luna tells her robot Miles to prepare food for a party, he unknowingly uses too much pudding mix. To create the required chemical reaction, the special effects crew combined two liquids to produce expanding polyurethane foam. The scene hearkens back to at least two similar sight gags of the past: Woman of the Year (1942), in which an underdomesticated Katharine Hepburn struggles to make waffles for Spencer Tracy, and I Love Lucy (1955), when Lucille Ball adds too much yeast to bread dough and the baking loaf expands from the oven, pinning Lucy against the kitchen wall.
Classic slapstick sight gag: After Miles and Luna have fled from the police into the countryside, he hunts for food when they become hungry. He finds a garden with oversized fruits and vegetables. As Miles peels a banana “the size of a canoe,” a man walking a giant chicken spots him. During the ensuing struggle each of them slips and falls repeatedly on the banana peel, with the slapstick heightened by fast-motion editing. The 78-second scene can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrShu_Lp2A
Entertainment vs. Message Critics and audiences often debate perceived underlying meaning in a film and to what extent, if any, a deeper-level message may be precalculated by the filmmaker. Like many or most auteur directors, Woody Allen seems to shrug off such discussions, preferring instead to let his films speak for themselves. Even with a light-hearted comedy such as Sleeper, however, the added dimension of science fiction may beg us to ponder: Was it whimsy or something more when Allen chose to create a character named “Our Leader,” the head of a totalitarian police state of the future? Is it coincidence or purpose that Our Leader was presented in one scene as sitting in silhouette and profile — so similar to iconic images of Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Was Allen simply having fun or suggesting something thematically generative when another image of Our Leader was a photograph of 1970s counterculture icon Timothy Leary, a psychologist who advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs and whose motto was “Turn on, tune in, drop out”?
Miles and Luna find temporary refuge in the home of two gay men whose stylish decor includes a sculptured cantilever chair. Although the chair presumably is glued to the floor for stability, Miles has a tough time sitting down in it and, in classic comedy fashion, tumbles unceremoniously to the floor. Here is a 22-second clip of the moment: http://toldbydesign.com/?portfolio=woody-allen-sleeper-chair
Regardless of how one interprets Woody Allen’s possible intentions in creating a light and comedic film within the “serious” domain of science fiction, the conclusions seem clear. He has shown us a society of the future, not unlike our own, in which the extremes of self-comfort and affectation have become a valued norm. In Allen’s future-world, friendship, romance and love have been replaced by robots, orbs and orgasmatrons. In depicting the burgeoning science of human cloning, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek manner, Allen has pulled the curtain to reveal political leadership that is not just repressive and duplicitous but also more facade than reality — a dystopian utopia.
Behind all the jokes, Woody Allen may be telling us through Sleeper that yes, politics is a perpetually corrupt machine and that yes, love brings pain. At the same time, however, he seems to be saying that avoiding our political natures only makes matters worse. His final question may be this: If we shut out the pain of love are we not also shutting out the joy?
For Further Reference:
ORIGINAL TRAILER (Length: 2:18)
THE ARCHITECTURE OF SLEEPER:
http://archoffilm.blogspot.com/2011/12/architecture-of-sleeper-1973.html
This Nixon era comic gem has always been one of my favorite Woody Allen films. Creative, original and accomplished at the height of his greatest period. Now this is a review that really does this film justice. Great work!
Thank you, Peter. I’m always happy to hear from fans of this film as I’ve had a soft spot for it since it was first released.
If one conducts a ranking of films by genre, the criteria of high achievement likely includes whether the film enriches or expands its genre. On the one hand, Sleeper has given us entertainment that is reminiscently familiar and pleasantly light in tone. On the other hand, Allen also has utilized the cinematic tools of science fiction to create biting social and political commentary that nevertheless is deceptively simple in its presentation.
Beautifully framed here Pierre! You do an utterly fabulous job connecting all the films themes and teh politics of the time that had audiences hankering for some laughter. You also bring in some fascinating points about the film’s production including one I never realized – that of the film’s science fiction props causing delays in the release. I have been laughing out loud that this classic since I first saw it as a freshman at a community college, where I reviewing it for the institution’s newspaper as a fledgling film critic. I was even fortunate enough to see it on a studio screening room pass, so my fondness is accentuated by thes eunique recalls. But it works so well because of the deft timing of the slapstick escapades and the sharp satiric humor like the capture fo McDonals serving many zillions of customers. You do make a terrific point about Allen keeping things grounded in 70’s sensibilities, which keeps resigns on the film from becoming too speculative. This picture si so chock full fo great moments and you bring it all home here with a superlative appraisal, one imbued by your own brand of passionate regard and analytical command!
That’s high praise indeed, Sam.Thank you. You’re a master teacher, extending your knowledge beyond the classroom at school to wherever you go, including enquiring adult minds at WitD and elsewhere. 🙂
And by the way, Sam, I want you to know that I worked so hard on this darned article that I’m in critical need of smelling salts. 🙂
Great work Don Haumant! I had plenty of fun re-visiting a long time favorite- as they say there is always so much more to learn. That Woody subversiveness is in full throttle in Sleeper!
Who the dickens is Don Haumant, Tim? 🙂 That said, I’m glad you enjoyed the piece. Speaking of subversive, do you remember the scene in the film when Diane Keaton is at the rebel camp? One of the rebels tosses a big chunk of raw meat in her direction. It lands in the dirt but she pucks it up anyway and starts knawing on it. She beat Leonardo diCaprio (The Revenant) by decades! 🙂
Did she really eat raw meat or was it just a prop?
Charlene
What a wonderfully comprehensive account of one of my favorite SF movies: many thanks. For me what makes the comedy work so effectively is that the movie’s very knowledgeable about the SF genre, and thus is itself a good piece of SF – i.e., it uses and plays with the tropes rather than imagining it has invented them. (I hadn’t known about Allen consulting with Asimov and Bova; that explains a lot.)
Thank you for the compliment. You make a good point about the qualuty of the sci fi. When I first saw this movie when it was released, sci fi didn’t compute in relation to this movie as it was the counterculture-friendly humor thst appesled to me and my peers. The qualities of genre were beyond our comprehension. Only later was the artistry and craft so noticeable. The film hashigh ratings at sites like Rotten Tomatoes, etc., and I’m happy whenever someone places it among Woody Allen’s better films.
the qualuty of the sci fi
SF, please, Pierre. Call me a curmudgeon if you will (and most people do), but we grizzled old pros in the biz pronounce “sci-fi” as “skiffy” and use it as a sort of amiably derogatory term.
If I described Sleepers as skiffy/sci-fi I’d be saying it was enjoyable crap. I was trying to make the point that it’s good SF.
My best and only defense is that at least I don’t refer to San Francisco as Frisco. 🙂
Harold Lloyd meets George Orwell?
Allen makes it all work in one of his very best films. Mr. de Plume’s revisit is most enthralling.
Thank you, Frank. I’m glad to see you bring up Harold Lloyd as I always have appreciated the more romantic, sweet moments in his films. Between that and the similarity of eyewear, surely Woody must have found romantic inspiration from Mr. Lloyd don’t you think?
I certainly believe he did Pierre! And such exemplary taste at that!
Tremendous essay!
Pierre has perfectly wrangled and organized all of the bits and pieces of what so many think is merely a simple comedy based on a bizarre, Science Fiction premise.
Far from it. Mr. DePlume deftly exposes and analyzes every aspect, every metaphor, every hidden meaning of one of Woody Allen’s most biting, but magical, films.
This piece was a fascinating read!
Mr. Polifroni, your high praise is very appreciated.
I would have written more but ran out of time. The show must go on at WitD. 🙂
Totally hilarious film and is a personal fav from the Woody Canon. For Belly laughs it’s right up there with his best.
We’re in agreement, Jon. Even when Woody is making a cogent point in this film, there’s alwsys enough time for silly. 🙂
Well, this was a lot of fun. Thank you, Pierre de Plume. A very thorough and informative account of this much-loved classic from one of my favorite filmmakers.
Thanks for the appreciative comment, Duane. I admit one of my hopes in writing this piece — which was work but also fun — is that readers find it enjoyable.
You have to know, I’m a WA fan from near-childhood. Seen all of them, a good number of them more times than I have fingers. I have critical thoughts on the many that misfire and adoring thoughts on the ones that hit. And there’s a bunch in between that are worthy of debate. This one I like but can’t love. Even as a southern boy, born and raised in Louisiana, the soundtrack gets on my nerves too much to be able to sit with it very long. That Preservation Hall-style jazz is just too wall-to-wall for me to take. Switch it with something more genre-appropriate, or even Woody Allen-appropriate, and it’s there.
If you indeed have seen all of WA’s films, you have more patience and fortitude than I as I’ve skipped more than a few of his films.
You make a valid point. Although the style of music used for this film is not unlike that of several other films of his, I can see how this one might be viewed as jarringly over the top in that aspect when juxtaposed with the genre of science fiction. Clearly Woody was serving more than one master here when so much of the film was a tribute to a musical and comedic time period that may not have blended well with the ultramodern, futuristic setting. Thanks for expressing your view.