Rollerball (1975)

Too much of everything

Don't listen to the negative reviews

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Set in a future world where there are no countries, just giant corporations which provide for everybody's needs. The sport of Rollerball is the dominant entertainment and Jonathan E, of the Houston team, is its star player... and that is a problem as the game is designed so that no one player becomes a star. The game is a brutal, full-contact cross between roller derby, speedway and basketball as players, some on skates others on motorbikes, race round a circular track trying to put a heavy metal ball into a small goal. After yet another victory for Houston corporate executive Bartholomew approaches Jonathan and tells him it is time to retire... something Jonathan isn't ready to do. As the next game approaches he tries to find out why the executives want him out of the game. So much so that they change the rules to make a dangerous game even more dangerous.This 1975 classic is set just over forty years in the future... in this year: 2018. Given that fact it has aged surprisingly well; the only scenes that seem really dated are those featuring a '70s view of what computers would look like in 2018. The strength of the film is the game itself; it may be more brutal than any real sport but it makes sense; there are clear rules and strategies so it feels like a real sport. The action is exciting, often disturbing and looks like a real match not like actors playing sportsmen. The story is effective although it might have been nice if we could have been told more of how the world changed to become how it is depicted... that said a sense of mystery beats a poor explanation. James Caan puts in a fine performance as Jonathan; it is clear that he is doing almost all of his stunts. The rest of the cast are solid; most notably John Beck who plays Jonathan's friend and teammate Moonpie and John Houseman who plays the quietly menacing Bartholomew. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of speculative fiction; sci-fi that is more about people than technology.

Rollerball is both a sci fi film and a social commentary on mankind. Set in the near future of 2018. War is no more same with poverty and crime. Also politics. the world is ruled by corporations dedicated to having complete power. In order to hide their illegal acts or at best The Shadier aspects they introduce a violent sport and recreate the bread and circus atmosphere of Rome and her Gladiators. Rollerball is designed to hold the population's attention to give them something to dream about argue about and gamble . And Rollerball is also designed to show the futility of individual achievement. Except. Jonathon E is a complete Champion. he's been rewarded more times then any other Rollerball Champion. He's popular. He's an idol to billions and he's setting the wrong example. Jonathon has the distinction of being the oldest player in the game. ten years and running. Quite a feat in a game designed to do one thing and that is to maim or murder. Jonathon's popularity worries the corporation and they fear that Jonathon E could be used as a sign to the people to revolt. Jonathon has no such designs. Until he's told he is retiring. He has no such idea he doesn't want to. But the corporate world wants him to. Do it nicely or have it done by force. Jonathon decides that now is the time for action and refuses to retire which sets the stage for the Championship Rollerball game where the objective for the other team is simply Kill Jonathon E.The Film was written back in 75 and adapted from a short story called the Rollerball Murder. And it was such a far fetched idea Corporations ruling the world giving us everything and the only thing we give up is freedom and will.Now its 2017 And suddenly the World of Rollerball doesn't seem so far fetched. It feels like the truth.

It's interesting to see how some films can be unaffected by time, and how others are DIRECTLY affected by it, in terms of their appreciation as the years go by.Consider THE STING. I consider it a painting of the time, a time capsule that captures the Great Depression in a very unique way, showing off not only the story-line but the beautiful backdrops of what was happening to America at the time. This movie does not age, because it is literally frozen in time.When it comes to ROLLERBALL, there is no way it could NOT age poorly. When I think about cell phone technology, it is a direct reason as to why people today would have a problem relating to a film that dared to proclaim the future, and missed by thousands of miles. Technologically speaking, compared to today's world, the movie's inner-workings seem to be just plain silly. Does this detract from the quality of the film?Not for my money, no.All films are fictionalized, no matter how realistic they may be. The actors do not actually die. The things you see flashing up on the screen are not real. CSI actually takes weeks, not an hour an episode. We are dealing with fantasy here, guys. Not reality. You have to consider everything when you watch a movie. Especially one like this, one that dared to predict the future.The main point of the film is just as solid as ever, and just as threatening as it ever could be. In a world where corporations rule everything, one of them tells the best player of Rollerball to give it up. Quit. Let the younger guys play, your time has come.The only trouble is, he's at his prime. It's not like he's starting to decline, or that somehow he's ready for the locker room. Jonathan E is playing the best damn game of Rollerball in his life. And why would anybody want to give that up? So he chooses to defy the corporations, and this is truly where the movie gets interesting. In his defiance, they begin to change the rules. As they change the rules more and more drastically to try and force him to quit, he becomes more and more defiant. One of the only criticisms I would have in the movie is one of semi-logic, and believe me I dismiss it as quickly as it comes up: Do you really think having his best friend go brain-dead would STOP him? I would think it would just push him harder.Braining Jonathan E would make more sense. But I guess a corporate world based all on fear tactics would rather have him submit than be beaten. And that's what we see. His inability to be beaten. His inability to submit.And that is what I celebrate about this film. That is what makes the film work for me. You have the subplot of his unfortunate relationship with his ex-wife, which some could argue one way or another when it comes to who left who and why, but it really doesn't matter. He dreamed about her. He came to realize it was JUST a dream. He gave it up.But NOTHING could make him give up Rollerball.

I don't have to tell anyone who's made it this far that ROLLERBALL, in retrospect, seems prescient. Corporate team sports have become the norm, with athletes proudly adorning themselves with corporate logos and tap-dancing to the tunes of their corporate masters as fast as they can. (There may come a time when the corporations will require the athletes they sponsor to tattoo the company logo on their hides...) Individuality (of the sort found in sports like boxing) has pretty much fallen by the wayside, for the most part (the odd fight turns up on cable or pay-per-view, but NEVER on Corporate Networks any more; and only superstar fighters with Brand Names are known to the general public). Jonathan E is the Muhammad Ali of his era, an individual who stands out- and, like the proverbial nail that must be hammered down, he finds himself under assault from The Corporation(s). Like the so-called Rules of Engagement meant to lessen the murder(s) in warfare, there are penalties in Rollerball, but those penalties are waived in response to Jonathan's celebrity to allow for greater carnage- which the Rollerballers promptly deliver (like the grunts who kill nowadays in the name of Corporations). Whether it's Team Sports like football or basketball or the military, it's ALL carefully designed to foster The Group Mind approach to winning. It's the individual who's NOT a Team Player that must be hammered down.