"Sleeper" *** (out of ****)I've written about Woody Allen on this blog before but only in reference to his latest films; "Scoop" (2006), "Cass-andra's Dream" (2007) and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008). I hadn't gotten around to the films Allen made back in the days people actually went to see a Woody Allen film.
Outside of Charlie Chaplin I would argue Woody Allen is the greatest and most influential comedy filmmaker around today. Of the current crop of directors living today, comedy or drama, Allen is my favorite.
In my last blog entry I pointed out the influence Mel Brooks had on me and my early interest in becoming a filmmaker myself. From Brooks I moved to Allen. As much as I appreciated Brooks, I could relate more to the Allen persona. We were both clumsy, shy around girls, somewhat timid and awkward. The different was I was 13 and Allen was in his 30s. But his behavior and insights reflected a horny teenage boy.
Allen hit it big as a stand-up comic in the 1960s but before that he would write jokes for Sid Caesar (another of my early comedy heroes) and his childhood idol Mr. Bob Hope. In the 1960s however Allen really emerged as a new force in comedy. His comedy was "cleaner" than his comtemporaries; Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and in my opinion he had more wit. The Allen character became one of those instantly recognizable comedy figures. We felt we knew him and understood him. Only a few comedians have managed to develop such an intimate relationship with their audience; Jack Benny, Laurel & Hardy, Chaplin. We could always anticipate the joke, it may have been predictable but we laughed anyway.
"Sleeper" (1973) was Allen's fourth film as a director. The idea of what to do with the Allen character was starting to become clear. Allen tried to put the "Allen character" in settings which his character didn't belong and allow for culture clash. Here in "Sleeper" he is put in the future. In "Love & Death" (1975) he is put in the past, 17th century Russia, in his debut film, "Take the Money & Run" (1969) he is the subject of a documentary on the worst criminal of all time. And in "Bananas" (1971) he becomes involved in a South American dictatorship.
Because we knew the character so well, we could sense the funny a mile away. Just throw the familiar character in one bizarre situation after another. This is exactly what the older comics; Laurel & Hardy, W.C. Fields or the Marx Brothers would do. Since the comedic persona was so firmly established the jokes came not from the character but their surroundings followed by their reaction.
Allen's comedic gifts have never really been in physical comedy. He has always been a verbal comic. He can set up a funny visual joke, think back to "Take the Money & Run" where he plays the cello in his high school marching band, but his wit is what steals the show. In "Sleeper" Allen attempts to make a modern day silent slapstick comedy. Mel Brooks would try something similar three years later with "Silent Movie" (1976) but would take one step further by actually making a real silent movie. Allen just goes for the slapstick comedy.
This is somewhat odd for Allen. He has admitted in various interviews he was never a fan of slapstick. In the book "Woody Allen on Woody Allen" he says "I've just never had a broad tolerance of broad comedy." He admits in the same book to not liking Laurel & Hardy. He has also admitted to not liking Harold Lloyd. On Buster Keaton he says "I did not think Buster Keaton was particularly funny. I think his movies are superb. They are masterpieces; his work is beautifully crafted, flawless. But he himself never makes me laugh very much." Strange that "Sleeper" is often thought of as Allen's "Buster Keaton picture".
In "Sleeper" Allen plays Miles Monroe, a neurotic New Yorker who ran a health food store and played clarinet in a New Orleans jazz band. He went to the hospital in 1973 for a minor ulcer operation and after some complications never awoke. Now it is 200 years later. A group of scientist have brought him back to life. The United States is no longer as he remembers it. We are now living in a police state run by "The Leader". Since Miles is no longer a citizen they want him to get in touch with member of an underground revolution which is planning something known as the "Aries project" to overthrow "The Leader". And if he is caught there is nothing he could tell him.
Despite "Sleeper" relying on more visual and physical gags than is usual for an Allen picture, Allen still manages to get in several good one-liners. When Miles does find out what has happened to him he refers to it as a "cosmic screwing". When told if he is captured by the police "your brain will be electronically simplified" he responds in horror, "my brain? that's my second favorite organ."
In order to disguise himself Miles pretends to be a robotic servant. He is sent to Luna (Diane Keaton), making her debut in an Allen picture, an eccentric poet not impressed with her robot. So she plans to have his head removed.
Luna, Miles hopes, will be his connection to the outside world and help him get in contact with the underground movement. But she is not so willing. She sees nothing wrong with the government.
In some ways "Sleeper" is a mix between a Buster Keaton comedy and Chaplin's "Modern Times". Like both, the humor in "Sleeper" comes from Miles trying to adapt to modern technology. Keaton's films were about man against technology and it is pretty much the basis of "Modern Times".
Also given this set-up Allen is able to make fun of current public figures and institutions such as President Nixon, Norman Mailer, the NRA and Howard Cossell. When anyone did anything bad in society, the scientist believe, they were forced to watch Mr. Cossell.
"Sleeper" was written by Allen and Marshall Brickman. The two would continue to work together on "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan". Brickman hasn't done much on his own, so I really can't comment on what his comedy style is but the two made a pretty good team. I love the banter between Miles and Luna. It has the same fast dialogue you'd find in "His Girl Friday" and a Marx Brothers' movie.
"Sleeper" was a pretty successful film for Allen. In its original release Roger Ebert stated that "Sleeper" establishes Allen as our premier comedy director.
The film was also nominated for a Writers Guild award but lost to "A Touch of Class", why, I'm not sure. Not that "A Touch of Class" is bad film.
I'm also willing to bet the film served as some sort of inspiration to Mike Myers when he created his Austin Powers character.
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