The_Film_That_Changed_My_Life

242 Chris Miller
When did you first see it?
Miller: I was a freshman in college when I saw it, and it really did change
my view of film and comedy. For me, Sleeper was a great balance between
physical comedy—slapstick humor—and clever savvy social satire.
At that point I’d never really seen a film that has really balanced both
of those elements. It was kind of like—you know how Rubber Soul and
Revolver are the best Beatles albums because they’re somewhere between
“She Loves You” and “I Am the Walrus”? They have elements of catchy pop
songs, but with experimental stuff in them.
I felt like Sleeper was not just a silly, goofy comedy like Take the Money
and Run and not like Hannah and Her Sisters. It was a middle phase for
Woody Allen. Those were two things I was very interested in: having
something interesting to say in a movie but also not taking yourself too
seriously and really making the kind of gut laughter that you get from
pure physical comedy.
It’s interesting that you had that reaction. Allen told biographer Eric
Lax that Sleeper was the first film in which “I started to get interested
in my profession.” It was the first movie that wasn’t a series of sketches
and was his first full narrative.
Miller: Yeah, I like Annie Hall better as a movie and so does everybody
in the universe—no big whoop there. But again, this was near my heart,
Sleeper, because it was one of the first movies that I’ve ever seen where he
was just unabashedly funny but still caring about things like art direction
and what kind of shots he makes.
I took a lot away from that movie as far as cinematography. I still believe
that long, wide setups are good for physical comedy. And when you get too
tight with too many cuts, it often ruins the joke. It was definitely the case in
Sleeper. There were lots of big wide shots where he just lets himself do all
sorts of physical antics.
What scene sticks with you when you think about the film?
Miller: I think about the whole series of things when he is impersonating
the robot. It’s the first thing I think of. Then, there’s the giant food and slipping
on a banana peel—a really classic, old-timey, cartoony gag.