Sleeper (1973) is a futuristic comedy film. It was written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman and directed by Allen himself, who also stars. The title is likely a reference to the classic science fiction novel When The Sleeper Wakes by H. G. Wells which also deals with a man in suspended animation who awakes in a dictatorial future which he rebels against, although the plots of Allen's film and Wells' novel otherwise have few similarities.
| Sleeper | |
|---|---|
| Sleeper DVD | |
| Directed by | Woody Allen |
| Written by | Woody Allen |
| Produced by | Jack Grossberg |
| Starring | Woody Allen Diane Keaton Maria Small Susan Miller |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Running time | 88 min |
In the movie, health food store owner Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) is hospitalized for an ulcer operation but ends up in the liquid nitrogen tanks of an immortality institution. He is revived in the year 2173 by a subversive organization, as he is the only member of this society without a known biometric identity. Monroe joins as an action commando with the idle Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton, in a role similar to that of Manhattan).
The dictatorial leader of the society has been killed by a rebel bomb, but this has not been revealed publicly. The only surviving body part is the leader's nose. It is the intent of the administration to clone the leader from this single remaining part. It is the rebels' purpose to disrupt this attempt by stealing and "assassinating" the nose. The unidentifiable Miles Monroe is essential to accomplishing this task.
This early Allen movie features some memorable concepts, such as Orgasmatron booths and a related orgasmic orb (passed around at parties), confessional robots, bioengeneered hydroponic vegetables (without any other part of the plant) such as hose-fed carrots as large as a canoe, and the cloning of vital organs and entire persons. Many things thought unhealthy in Monroe's time (including fatty foods and smoking) are known by future scientists to be extremely good for you.
Sometime between Monroe's time in the late 20th century and 2173 there was nuclear warfare, caused "when a man named Albert Shanker got hold of a nuclear device", and due to which much history is obscure or lost. 2173 historians show Monroe some surviving 20th century artifacts (such as a set of novelty wind-up chattering teeth) and ask for explanations. The historians have developed interesting theories about Howard Cosell and Richard Nixon, which Miles doesn't have the heart to refute.
Jokes include: Robots programmed to behave like Jewish tailors and gay waiters; PhDs in oral sex; a McDonald's restaurant with a number "Served" containing dozens of 0's; and an abandoned 200-year old Volkswagen Beetle that starts up instantly.
The soundtrack music is in New Orleans traditional jazz style, by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Allen sitting in on clarinet.
In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Sleeper the 30th greatest comedy film of all time.
Quotes
Historian (showing Miles a tape of Howard Cosell): We have a theory, that whenever citizens in your state committed a crime, they were forced to watch this.
Miles: Yes, that's exactly what that was.