Technology and society in science fiction

Technology and Society -- Science Fiction

Literary Analysis of Sleeper, a Film by Woody Allen

The intent of this paper is to complete a literary analysis of the film Sleeper (1973), written and produced by Woody Allen. This film is considered a modern classic due to its extensive use of comedy techniques, from slapstick and vaudevillian routines, to dialogue that is packed with double-entendres meant to show the irony and ridiculousness of technology being worshipped at the expense of humanity. A brief summary of the story is given below, in addition to the issues that the story addresses in its comedic treatment of the conflict between technology and human nature. There is also an abundance of content in the film about how Woody Allen feels about technology. He finds fertile sources for comedy at the intersection of technology for exceptional efficiency and convenience and the basic human desires, needs and responses to stress on the other. I personally agree with much of what Woody Allen sees as humorous on the surface and troubling at a deeper level. Mr. Allen has sought to keep the film light, moving quickly, and not dwelling on the heavy messages of the film. Through pure comedy however he makes his points very clear. The final section of this paper discusses why Sleeper is considered a classic.

Sleeper Synopsis

Set two hundred years in the future, in the year 2173, scientists who are part of a resistance movement aimed at overthrowing a police state that has taken control of the United States, find Miles Monroe cryogenically frozen. In a daring attempt to unfreeze Miles Monroe (Woody Allen), the scientists take his frozen body to a state-run laboratory to unfreeze him. Hilarity ensures as Miles flops around like a half-coherent being. Luckily he awakes in time to escape the state police who are pursuing the scientists and him. He evades them on a cross-country chase by getting into a truck of domestic robots. The robots are being delivered to upscale homes in the area and he lands at Luna's highly styled, chic home as a robot. Luna (Dianne Keaton) orders him to prepare for a party in a robot-like precision. Miles quickly turns the house into chaos as his human emotions and reactions completely misalign with the automation of the 22nd century kitchen. Luna is also dissatisfied with his appearance and chooses to have his head replaced. When she takes him to get his head replaced, Miles kidnaps her and explains who he is. She is frightened and angry, and goes to run him in. Miles stops her and they both are on the run, away from the police state guards. They meet up with the scientists running the resistance and choose to join their cause. As he was brainwashed by the police state earlier in the film, the resistance completes reverse-brainwashing and he can clearly remember his past. As Miles has the only DNA that has not been mapped and cataloged, he can move freely through the police state areas and pass himself and Luna off as doctors. They find the president of the police state died nine months ago and the nose is the only DNA tissue left. After being found out as frauds, Miles and Luna attempt to escape with the nose. The nose however is dropped and crushed under a steam roller. The story humorously and through irony shows how human freedom makes technology relevant and useful. The automation and efficiency of technology without human freedom is comparable to a philosophical prison. Freedom is what enables technology to be as useful and complimentary to the human experience as possible.

Issues the Story Addresses

Sleeper sets the foundation early in the film of the irony and humorous conflict between human emotion on the one hand, and the automation and efficiency on the other. This conflict is what propels several other areas Woody Allen concentrates on. The first is that engineering gadgets and machines to deliver the most pleasurable experiences are designed to accentuate and intensify the experiences. While technology can greatly simplify and in the case of this film, greatly increase the intensity of an experience, it is paradoxical in that it is not from the heart and passion of a person. Mr. Allen is making the statement that while technology can deliver exceptionally lucid, intense and accentuated experiences, they cannot infuse emotion or truly be felt from the heart. Based on this theme being so prevalent through the film, the foundation is set for the strongest messages delivered. These include the battle of human freedom and passion against engineered control and compliance. The film successfully shows how authoritarian governments can successfully use technology to keep peoples' passion for change in check and under control. Finally the film weaves these concepts of human vulnerability vs. The pure efficiency of technology, the dangers of technology robbing people of their passions, and as a result their freedom, and the use of technology to enforce compliance, even to a dead leader. Woody Allen does all this in a humorous framework that sets in motion the most critical message he has to give: freedom from oppression starts when technology is used not for control but for liberating others. This theme could have gotten dark and serious in a big hurry, yet Mr. Allen keeps in balanced with humor and a perspective that is heavy with irony. His message is that technology designed purely for efficiency is ironically much more detrimental that everyone thinks (as is seen in the rice pudding episode in the 22nd century kitchen). Yet when Miles and Luna begin to care about each other and seek to help each other, they overcome the technological barriers that exist. Freedom is found in helping other humans find their unique type of freedom.

and seeking to question and fulfill ones' passions, not stay in strict compliance to technology and its temporal benefits.

Views of the Author Regarding Technology

Woody Allen sees the intersection of technology and human emotion, passions and vulnerabilities on the one hand and technology on the other as fertile ground for his unique style of humor. The pure efficiency of technology and its effects on human emotion are contradictory to the point of being humorous in this film. Woody Allen has mentioned in interviews that the H.G. Wells book When the Sleeper Awakes was a source of inspiration for the screenplay, as was the totalitarian mindset of George Orwell's classic, 1984 (O'Har, 479, 480). Woody Allen also sees human emotion, passion, and to an extent, sexuality, being more powerful that the conformity that technology, when used unethically, can create. The love interest of Miles and Luna blossoms when she realizes that the robot she initially despised the appearance of is actually a human with emotions. In this area of the plot, Mr. Allen creates an exceptional paradox. The robot made human is liberating at an emotional and passionate level the woman who was using technology not as a liberator but as a crutch and a chance to be more centered on herself. Allen is saying that when pure emotion, from love and passion to hate are in play, all the technology in the world cannot stand in its way. He also is remarking on the fascination with technology as a means to pleasure when ironically the greatest path to enjoyment is in the fragility and vulnerability of humans. It is impossible to trust technology to the core of one's emotion and to one's heart, yet it is incredibly freeing and liberating to do this with another person. Mr. Allen is saying this not loudly or bluntly, but with subtlety and putting an exclamation point on the subject with passion and positive emotion.

Reactions to the Author's View

Given the onslaught of new technologies in 1973 for data processing and the fascination the world had at the time with digital watches, and home appliance-based technologies, the movie was meant as a wake-u0p call. Allen is saying that all of the wonders of technology can never replace tow people connecting and trusting each other. I completely agree with these concepts and given Mr. Allen's wit and comedic sense, am thankful it was made. Finally any film made during a specific period of time can't help but reflect the values of society at the time. The open discussions about sexuality and sex make light of society's open and free attitudes about these areas of the human experience in 1973.