User reviews

This is a film that demands repeat viewing. When I was a kid, my brothers and I used to just fast-forward all the slow, `talkie' scenes to get to the action. We couldn't understand why the whole film wasn't just composed of game sequences (a criticism also leveled by at least one reviewer on this site).

Now, having just watched the movie twice in a night, the second time with the director's commentary, I have finally got to grips with the scenes between the action, and discovered that I like it more than ever. The view of the future is not highly original; tipping its hat to the stratified societies foreseen by Orwell and Huxley, amongst others; but nevertheless the portrayal is engaging. Jewison astutely realised that only by filling in the image of the future society, the characters, and the political background against which the tournament unfolds, would the game be seen as truly REAL for the characters. In the meanwhile, he also has the chance to build suspense, upping the stakes for both the heroic gladiator/combateur Jonathon, and his would-be puppet master Bartholemew. In this way, when we come to watch the actual contests, our enthusiasm is whetted, and by making the rules progressively more dangerous with each passing game, the stakes grow ever higher.

The central themes of the movie are (i) loss-of-soul/nihilism/sensual-vs-spiritual-happiness, and (ii) individuality vs state control. Perhaps the best scenes elucidating these themes are the famous `tree killing' scene, and the conversation between Jonathon and Ella in the forest. The use of imagery and metaphor is widespread; I will mention only the terrific concept of the roulette wheel as game arena, with the players INSIDE, instead of outside; and the Circus Maximus parallel. You may draw many interesting conclusions from this about the director's and writer's intent.

My final word is: watch it once, soak up the action, and be bored by the rest. Then view it again, feel yourself in Jonathon's dilemma, experience his wrenching disappointment with the people in his life who betray him, and try to tear yourself away if you can as he is pushed inexorably to his fate in the arena of ROLLERBALL.

At first glance you'd never guess the same director who did the wonderfully charming "Fiddler on the Roof" would turn around 2 years later and do the dark, dystopian chiller "Rollerball". But he did.

But in both films, we see the same powerful strategy: a complex, philosophical brain-twister beneath a deceptivly simple exterior. "Fiddler on the Roof" was seemingly a linear story about a struggling Jewish family's good & bad times. But the real meat of the story was about the conflict between old ways and new (tradition vs. progress). Here in "Rollerball" we have another seemingly linear story about an athlete in a violent, futuristic sport. But the real meat is the conflict of brutal human nature vs. suppression (again, a sort of "tradition vs. progress"). As with "Fiddler on the Roof", director Norm Jewison doesn't hit us over the head with any preachy sermon but instead leaves us to digest the situation.

"Rollerball" has the same powerful, brooding quality that we see in many of the 70s scifi masterpieces, like "THX 1138", "Soylent Green", "Planet of the Apes", "Blade Runner" (yeah I know that one was 1982), and the one that started them all, "2001: A Space Odyssey". Cold, sterile sets, disturbing situations and powerful use of silence characterize these films. By today's standards they might be considered slow, but depending on how you like your scifi, that might be right up your alley.

In a nutshell, the story is about a futuristic society that has largely done away with civilian violence. It has done this by "subsidizing" violence by way of a global pasttime: a hyper-violent sport called Rollerball. Note: as a parallel story, we learn that cut-throat corporate competition has been similarly squelched by the government creating monopolies. And thus society finds peace. Or does it? You can probably see the brilliant metaphors being woven here. This isn't an ordinary scifi romp, it's a powerful socio-political allegory. It cuts to the heart of human nature the way the great writers H.G. Welles, Mary Shelley and George Orwell did. No, you won't see a lot of laser battles, spaceships and aliens. But here you'll see an excellent example of what scifi was designed to do: comment on our current human condition by creating a fictional (extreme) scenario as a cautionary tale.

Excellent, and I mean EXCELLENT performances by James Caan (The Godfather, Misery), John Houseman (The Paper Chase, The Fog), Maud Adams (3 James Bond films), Moses Gunn (every 70s TV show from Hawaii 5-O to Shaft), and a particularly gripping performance by Pamela Hensley (Princess Ardala in "Buck Rogers" homina homina) make this an all-star powerhouse of 70s talent.

The music deserves a special mention of its own. From the opening notes of Bach's Toccata in Dm (the creepy "Dracula" theme) to Albinoni's haunting Adagio in Gm (check it out on YouTube... saddest song ever), "Rollerball" doesn't hold back.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. But there are a few modern scifi films that come close: "Moon", "District 9" and "Solaris" come to mind.

If you liked the films I mentioned in this review; if you liked the 70s classics "Catch-22" and "Coma" and "Stepford Wives"; if you like films that are both entertaining and works of art, do NOT miss Rollerball.

For laughs, after you watch Rollerball (1976), check out the remake done in 2002 ...and see how far we've come :/

I first saw this movie on HBO at the age of 14 and I sensed immediately that it was a classic, a combination of action, sports, sex, and social commentary. All the years of viewing other films have only made me more and more appreciative of this movie's many strengths.

On one level, I believe this is the best sports movie ever made. It is miles ahead of more "realistic" films like NORTH DALLAS FORTY or SEMI TOUGH or even critical favorites like COBB and EIGHT MEN OUT. The very fact that Rollerball is a make believe sport adds believability to the action sequences. Watch a baseball film and you can see at a glance that Robert Redford or Kevin Costner are not real athletes. But since rollerball has never been played, James Caan as Jonathan E really looks like the best in the game. There are no "clichés" like home runs or long passes to spoil the danger and excitement -- every crash and goal is new, never having been seen before. And there are no clichés about the fans, the athletes, or "win one for the Gipper" or gamblers or shady ladies trying to make Our Hero throw the game. From the beginning we sense the stakes are higher -- Jonathan E will either conform or die.

That brings up the fact that ROLLERBALL also shares a central theme with a lot of other powerful movies, like FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, COOL HAND Luke, and even A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. What happens when a uniquely gifted individual refuses to participate in a corrupt system? This movie is so powerful as a drama you hardly notice the sci fi trappings. The rugged action scenes are so real you hardly notice that rollerball is a make believe game.

James Caan as Jonathan E turns in a sensitive, nuanced performance, deliberately underplaying the tough guy side as much as possible. Michael Beck as Moonpie is the foolishly overconfident one, playing Frank Sinatra's Maggio to Caan's Robert E. Lee Pruitt. But unlike the hard luck privates in this man's army, these rollerball stars get to have glamor, luxury, and unlimited sex between vicious games of rollerball. The movie captures so much sensuality and glamor that you can see why men risk death game after game to be known as "great rollerballers who bash in faces." This movie is spectacular -- an action classic with brains!

Rollerball is another of those great 70's cult sci-fi films. It features a great cast of actors and a smart script. It was notorious at the time for its violence, although that was greatly exaggerated in comparison to some professional sports and entertainment. It features a futuristic reimagining of the Roman Empire, with gladiatorial games to distract the populace from their bleak existence. It also predates cyberpunk literature, with ts depiction of a world controlled by powerful conglomerates, a world not too different from the present one.

James Caan is fantastic as Johnathan E, the Michael Jordan of Rollerball. He continues to succeed in a sport designed to show the futility of individual effort. The sport is constantly changed to stop him, yet he continues to overcome every obstacle.

John Housman is electrifying as the head of the Energy Corporation, owners of the Houston Team. He has conspired with his peers to keep the masses down and use this sport to both distract them and show them that the individual can't succeed. He grows more desperate as Johnathan E defeats his schemes. He tries every trick without success.

The supporting cast is filled with great actors, like Moses Gunn, John Beck, Sir Ralph Richardson (not John Gielgud, as one reviewer stated), Maude Adams, and Shane Rimmer.

The film demonstrates that the individual can triumph over insurmountable odds and cautions against corporate control of society. It uses both allegory and speculation beautifully, and packages it with thrilling action. The remake was destined for failure because it couldn't see beyond the action. The action was only window dressing for the greater themes. If only more recent sci-fi films were this thought-provoking, or other films for that matter.

There were quite a number of reasons why 'Rollerball' intrigued me in the first place. The concept was a really intriguing one. It has been praised for its use of classical music, a delight for a lifelong classical music fan. There are some talented names here, James Caan especially. And Norman Jewison has done some good films, such as 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'Fiddler on the Roof'.

My opinion of 'Rollerball' is that it is a flawed film but also a very impressive one. The momentum does sag, particularly in the middle, in some scenes not on the arena. Bogged down by a little too much extraneous talk, like the Ella story line, and a few ideas that could have gone into more depth. Of the characters, the only ones that are really developed like "real" characters are Jonathan E and Bartholomew (Ella particularly is a cipher), and parts while well intended are laid on too thick somewhat.

However, 'Rollerball' is well made visually. It's all very slick and stylish and the set for the rollerball arena still makes one go wow. Liked the look of the future dystopia, not extraordinary but it was atmospheric. Jewison directs with assurance, while the script has a lot of intelligent and thought-provoking lines and ideas that resonate a lot and still are very much relevant. The message is much appreciated and is very much pertinent.

Story is intriguing and has enough to compel, and Jonathan E and Bartholomew are very interesting characters. The supporting cast, particularly John Beck, are solid.

'Rollerball' excels particularly in four particularly strongly done areas. The tautly filmed and edited rollerball sequences are incredibly exciting and have a real sense of disturbing danger and nerve-shredding tension too. Andre Previn does well with the music score, but shining even more is to me some of the best use of classical music on film, including the most beautiful use of Albinoni's Adagio ('Manchester By the Sea' also used it beautifully but it's done more subtly here), Bach's Toccata used very creepily and the best use of Shostakovich on film. It's not just that the music itself is wonderful but also that they are so cleverly used, almost ironically and also unnervingly.

James Caan is a highly charismatic lead and gives the character nuances, while John Houseman's Bartholomew is chilling. One cannot review 'Rollerball' without mentioning the incredibly powerful ending either.

Overall, very impressive but flawed. 7/10 Bethany Cox

In 2018 corporate capitalism has abolished war , sickness and poverty and the masses of the human race watch Rollerball a violent sport . The world's greatest star of the sport Jonathan E finds himself being manipulated by a global corporate company

Believe it or not after THE GODFATHER films were released it wasn't Pacino or DeNiro who was going to be the biggest star from the films but James Caan . As ridiculous as it may seem now you can understand that his manly , rugged all American physical features would be ready made for New Hollywood unlike the somewhat ethnic background of Pacino and DeNiro . As it turned those two Italian Americans became two of the greatest actors of their generation while Caan quickly disappeared in obscure forgotten films like FREEBIE AND THE BEAN and THE KILLER ELITE . This film by Norman Jewison ROLLERBALL was probably Caan's career highlight

ROLLERBALL is another dystopian science fiction film popular from the period where the future vision of humanity has seen the upside where war , illness and poverty has been eradicated . The downside is that with it individuality and democracy has effectively become a thing of the past too and world is ruled not by democratically elected governments but by corporate companies who control the population by giving them what they want but on the corporate terms

This is a persuasive idea and one that's not really exaggerated . George Orwell described sport as " War without the shooting " and as someone who grew up in the west of Scotland I can testify that most peoples obsession revolves around two football clubs Rangers and Celtic who attract a lot of sectarian pond life and there's a blackly comical joke that there's only six letters in the West of Scotland alphabet - IRA and UVF , so the idea of corporate companies controlling the masses wasn't a ridiculous idea when this film was made

The problem is that the message is a bit too heavy handed to be entirely credible . It's true that people belong to tribes and this never truer than where sport is concerned but you have to think why would a sport like Rollerball make headway in to Europe or South America where football or soccer as it is known in America be the world's most popular game . Likewise would Rollerball be popular in the third world like Africa or Asia or any failed state ? The more you think about the premise collapses that the concept of war and poverty has been abolished

Where the film works best is the scenes of the game itself . I'm not entirely sure what the rules of the game are but it's certainly an exciting sport that might best be described as " carnage porn " . Director Jewison tries hard to make the game scenes spontaneous via the use of editing and sound mix and probably tries a bit too hard to make it appear spontaneous but the action scenes are exciting and it's this that makes the film a success . Compare it to the wimpish remake from ten years ago to see what I mean

In the futuristic year of 2018, giant corporations rule the Earth. They control people by providing easy access to sex, drugs and big screen television sets. Entertainment is provided by the popular "Rollerball" blood-sport, sponsored by corporate executives. Audiences vicariously stroke their violent impulses through the "Rollerball" games. The players skate around on a circular track, "Roller Derby"-style and try to get a silver ball in its slot. To make the sport more dangerous, a few players ride motorcycles. Teams are permitted to disable each other in any way possible, and deaths are routine...

Athletic star James Caan (as Jonathan E) commands attention from crowds in the stands and TV viewers. He scores the most goals and is leading his Houston team to championship victory. Then, something strange happens. Smug corporate executive John Houseman (as Bartholomew) asks Mr. Caan to resign from the team. He will live in comfort with plenty of money, alcohol and a succession of beautiful female companions. But Caan likes the game and wants to keep playing. Houston, we have a problem… "Rollerball" succeeds in creating a simple anti-utopian future with parallels to the present.

******* Rollerball (6/25/75) Norman Jewison ~ James Caan, John Houseman, John Beck, Maud Adams

In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes (James Caan) is out to defy those who want him out of the game.

So, the film is known for its stunts and being the first film to give credit to the stunt performers in the credits. This film is also known for its classical music -- an idea borrowed from Kubrick's "2001" and "Clockwork Orange", which allegedly stops the film from dating. (This concept does seem to be true -- the lack of 1970s music does make it harder to pinpoint as a 1970s film.)

There is some social commentary here about corporations, the violence of certain sports and more. How seriously we should take any of this is unclear because it really does just end up being a lot of fun, and one could actually see a game like this being invented (is it really all that different from roller derby?).

Why some people have called this film shallow, I will never understand, considering it focuses on character more than most all sci-fi films, especially those action ones made today. Not surprisingly, the recent remake dwelt more on action than character, and perhaps it's significant that director Norman Jewison normally avoids making science-fiction films.

Also, I personally don't interpret ROLLERBALL as an anti-sport drama. It doesn't attack sports per se as much as violence. In his audio commentary to the DVD, Jewison, like many Canadians, admits he's a hockey fan, and once, while witnessing a game get bloodily out of hand, he was inspired to adapt Harrison's marvelous short story.

All in all, I think of the movie as a plea for all of us to find our own basic humanity (and those who say the film lacks humanity really baffle me). In our present competitive world, where the U.S. speed limit is 65 MPH but everyone drives 75 or faster, this motion picture reminds us to control the anarchistic, power-driven beast within.

To offer one example, in its final scene, Jonathan E is about to murder the last opposing team player...but relents. If the film were truly anti-sport,then I think Jonathan would drop the ball and leave; he would mock the game as Mandy Patinkin's character does hockey at the end of SLAPSHOT. Instead, Jonathan E still plays it: he baskets the ball to earn his point because, though he may have touched his humanity, he still retains the drive to win and the thrill of the game. Unlike other--often more sentimental and simple-minded--anti-sports dramas, ROLLERBALL represents the positive aspects of sports (such as ethical aspiration, etc.), while at the same time its negative aspects (such as triumphalist violence, etc.). Afterwards, as the crowd roars, the film might have concluded with a standard, comforting triumph-of-the-human-spirit message, but instead it freezes on a deliberately distorted shot of Jonathan with Bach's portentious music indicating what awaits. Yes, he may be a winner today, but in this world, where the corporation is everything and the individual nothing, his future is dim indeed.

A shallow film? Nonsense! I think this movie taps into ones humanity more than most of the sentimental tripe hyped as significant drama these days.

I think that the fight between good & evil is the basic idea of ALL action movies. Just one man/woman or a bunch (the good ones) facing the big evil power. Then ¿who can symbolize that power?. The Corporations. From 1984 (and olders) to Public Enemy (i.e.) going thru thousands of movies, Corporations means the enemy to defeat. Check it out: Banks, Chemical, Oil and Weapon industries, Genetic labs. Even Vatican and some bizarre brotherhoods ("We'll rule the world" style). A real zoo of vicious and twisted organizations that, every time, will try to manipulate, implicate or kill our heroes.

But, what am I trying to say?. Rollerball, folks, is one of the most perfect examples of the good/evil infinite fight. One man alone, discovering the truth behind is comfortable life, losing is goods and privileges, gets himself in a life-or-dead final battle against the real enemy: the Corporation (¿who else?). The image of James Caan skating alone into the game arena with the crowd claiming his name louder and louder is simply unforgettable. GREAT movie.

And remember: Take care, there are many powerful Corporations around you.

I have tried to understand what anyone likes about this movie. It is both so self aware and, at the same time, so lost in and of itself. The movie appears to be directed with the idea that it was going to be the end all, be all. The "A Clockwork Orange" of the year, but it is so devoid of anything intelligent. It is not the fault of the stars of the picture. They do well with what they are given. It is instead a poorly devised and directed script. The action scenes are hokey. The lack of any devised rules for the game makes this just a bunch of poorly set up action scenes that in no way gets the audience excited for the game or to know when they should be rooting for or against the players. The long silences that are supposed to be "knowing" silences come off like the screenwriter had no idea what to do next. Watch if you like, but there is no way that this movie deserves any of the nostalgic claims of love.

This film is a classic. A brilliant adaptation of the future and that is way better than the updated version that John McTiernan released which to this day cannot hold a candle to this science fiction masterpiece that was released in 1975. The year 1975 brought out some of the best movies of that year and some to this day still holds its own. From "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest",to "Jaws","Shampoo",the rock musicals "Tommy",and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to the performances of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" to "Dog Day Afternoon",and not to mention "Nashville" and the sequel "French Connection II",and "The Eiger Sanction",these films represented what a year it was in motion pictures especially in the year 1975.

The film "Rollerball"(United Artists,1975),was screenplay by William Harrison and directed by Norman Jewison,who was Oscar nominated for his brilliant direction in such films,"In The Heat Of The Night",and the musical "Fiddler On The Roof",is no stranger to science fiction material. The film is set in the year 2018 where there are no wars and no crime,but there is only....the Game. In a world where corporations rule and no one asks questions-the vicious and barbaric sport of Rollerball satisfies the violent impulses of the masses. Tuned to their televisions,the people watch the sport of the future which is a brutal mutation of football,the Romanesque gladiator fighting,motorcross and hockey. Jonathan E.(played brilliantly by James Caan) is the champion Rollerball player-a man too good for his own good. The corporation has taken away the woman he loves(Maud Adams),but they won't take away his soul even if the diabolical corporate head(John Houseman)tells him he'd better retire..or suffer the old-fashioned way.

With some surrealistic imagery,Orwellian theme,and tense action with some of the best action sequences ever filmed,this picture will grip you from the moment the ball rolling out and zooms into the stadium to its chilling cilmax,this movie has haunted audiences as it takes a look into the future and what the future would become,and has a stunning effect. James Caan's performance is something to marvel at and John Houseman's performance as the diabolical corporate executive is a chilling and stalking cold and with some of the strong support from its cast including John Beck,Moses Gunn,and Ralph Richardson.

The 1975 version is worth seeing..it is the original and still the best of its genre...Don't even bother with the 2002 version with was directed by John McTiernan.

****SPOILERS**** The futuristic movie "Rollerball" starts off with a piece from the 18th Century organ music, by Sebastian Bach, Toccata & Fugue in D minor as the two Rollerball teams, Huston & Madrid, get ready for combat in the skating rink. Leading the Huston team is the greatest player in Rollerball history Jonathan E.,James Caan, who together with his fellow teammate Moonpie, John Beck, bashing heads and breaking bones in no time at all demolish the Spanish team beating it 3 to 1 with Jonathan scoring all the points for Huston.

After the game in the locker room Jonathan is asked by the Huston team owner Energy Corps. CEO Bartholomew, John Houseman, that he needs to see him at his corporate office about something very important that has to do with his future as the Huston's teams top scorer. Jonathan's later told by Bartholomew that his playing days are over and that he's to announce his retirement at a party that he's throwing for him that will be broadcast all over the globe. Being in the game for ten years, more then any other player, it's felt by the worlds top corporate executives and CEO's that it's time for Jonathan to call it quits. Not that their so worried about his health or him ending up crippled or dead playing the game but because he's defeating the very purpose of the game Rollerball. Which is that life is futile so accept whatever is given to you, by the corporate elites, and don't complain about it. Which is the kind of massage that the game is supposed to instill in those tens of millions of fanatical fans who watch it religiously day after day.

In 2018 wars have been completely eliminated by the nations of the world replacing them with the brutal and violent game of Rollerball. Being that man is born with an almost hypnotic and uncontrollable taste and desire for war, as history has so sadly proved, it was decided that the game Rollerball would placate the publics blood-lust for war and violence. Still it was supposed to be a game that in the end nobody playing would survive it, alive or dead. Jonathan in his not getting killed or baldy injured but winning championship after championship for Huston was doing exactly that!

Given the choice to retire and live a life of luxury and pleasure for the rest of his days by the corporate elite Jonhatan instead, in a sign of rebellion against his masters, chooses to continue to play the dangerous game of Rollerball for Huston and lead his team to the world Rollerball championship, thats to be played in New York City. Which set into motion a plan to get him, and his teammates, killed by the corporate controlled sports commission changing the rules of the game. It's determined that there would no rules at all with the only winner being the last player left standing alive on the blood-splattered skating rink.

The movie "Rollerball" was one of the biggest box office successes of 1975, it grossed $30 million dollars, but was both overlooked and not taken seriously as a thought-provoking motion picture like most people watching it now. The film has do with major corporations, like the military-industrial complex, controlling and giving orders to our elected and unelected leaders. It was back then but now some 30 years later it's easy to see now, in retrospect, of how ahead of it's time it really was.

With everything being done to have Jonathan killed off in his next game, the semi-final against Tokyo, he again survives beating the Japanese team. Despite his superb performance Jonathan's good friend and teammate Moonpie ends up with a near-fatal injury leaving him practically dead, actually brain-dead, to the world.

It now comes down to the championship game against the tough and no-holds barred New York Rollerball team that has been declared, by the corporate giants, to be a last man standing event. Everything is now riding on Jonathan not surviving by not being someone to look up to admirer and even emulate the final game becomes something far more then just a major sporting event. It becomes a giant class struggle between the controlled masses, represented by Jonathan, and those who control them, represented by the corporate elite. The result will be for the people and cooperations to see if in the future if they can either both co-exist together as equal partners or revert back to where they've been since the dawn of recorded history as slave and slave-master.

A mixture of speedway, roller-skating, basketball and raw gladiatorial combat: that's rollerball, sport of the future, opium of the people, and the subject of Norman Jewison's eponymous film, which tells the story of Jonathan E., the star who becomes too big for the game. There's much that can be criticised in this movie, but also much to admire. On the downside, the future is rendered very much in accordance with a now-dated 1970s vision of modernism; the crowd scenes never truly come to life; we never really get an impression of how people who are not rollerball stars actually live; and most crucially, the players seem to possess an unexplained indifference to the imminence of death. The last point is actually quite important - the psychology of facing extinction is an underplayed element in the film, when a plot is launched to kill Jonathan, it's impact is diminished by the fact that people seem to die, largely uncared for, as a normal result of conventional play. On the other hand, the movie stages several games of rollberball for us, itself an achievement in an age before computer graphics; foresees the sybaritic lifestyles of contemporary sports stars; and paints a bold, impressionistic vision of future society - the details may be missing, but Jewison is quite audacious (for a director of a mainstream movie) in how he uses images and (mostly classical) music to reveal the essence of the world. Moreover, there's also something of the feel of 'The Parallax View' and other classic 1970s conspiracy thrillers about this film; the sense that the truth is always hidden behind the next corner (that's not my phrase, but it better describes the Kennedy/Watergate-inspired mood of the best of American movies of this period better than any I can create myself). 'Rollerball' is by no means perfect, but it does seem reminiscent of an age when Hollywood was more adventurous; it was recently remade, but surely what today's studios should have been doing was not copying the formula, but making a 'Rollerball' of their own.

This is in many ways a film that is very typical for its kind in the late 60s and the 70s it is a relative of "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Fahrenheit 451", "Silent

Running", "Logan's Run" and "Death Race 2000". It is a social critical science fiction movie masked as straight action/sci-fi. First for the good things: It is a thought provoking movie with some riveting Rollerball action sequences, it is well played and well made with a non-standard classical organ score. The flip side is a middle section, that although it does offer thought-provoking look at a future dystopia is sagging badly. The design is as minimalistic as in "Fahrenheit 451", making it clear that this movie was made on a shoestring budget (which

explains the padding in the middlesection). I feel it is too early to make a remake of this movie for the sake of updating it technologicly or otherwise, it is simply not needed, "Rollerball" is still a very stingy critical sci-fi movie that's hitting home. A remake is however required to make the ultimate "Rollerball" movie,

with a healthy budget, allowing "Rollerball" to rise above minimalism and

deliver in the crisp & crunchy Rollerball game department. Rollerball 2002 was a dud, so this is still a challenge for a gutsy studio and director. For all its shortcomings the original "Rollerball" is an above average movie holding up

very well even today. 7/10

An underrated and often misunderstood film that actually deals with personal freedoms and what makes us human.

In the film, people live in a world controlled by corporations that don't want people to think for themselves but simply be obedient. The atmosphere is sinister, tense and almost uncomfortable, and on the face of the main character you can read a kind of constant sadness and a feeling that something is not right. This is occasionally seen in the eyes and faces of other characters, but with Jonathan this is especially evident.

Particularly important and interesting is the conversation between Jonathan and Bartholomew where the conversation reveals that such a corporate society is bureaucratic, heartless and that thinking for yourself is not desirable.

What is extremely important here is that this film is a cautionary tale, telling us how easily our freedoms can disappear. In the film, we see a dystopian world that does not seem so dystopian to us today.

The movie itself is well shot, the cinematography is excellent, and James Caan is great in the role of Jonathan. Effects, neither action nor style are important here, although they are excellent, what really matters here are the deep emotions and the universal message.

An interesting cinematographic work about personal freedoms, individuality and freedom in general.

Norman Jewison and William Harrison expand Harrison's short story into a full length feature film, with great results. Story takes place in 2018 and the world is a global corporate state, a hegemony of six ruling cartels. There are no wars, poverty and etc, so the cartels provide the antidote to pent up frustrations with Rollerball, a bloodthirsty arena sport where no quarter is given or taken. But when the sports number one star, Jonathan E, becomes a free spirit and too big for the sport, the corporations aim to retire him…

Headed by a superb James Caan as Jonathan, the performances are from the high end, the photography superb and the action during the games themselves is beautifully choreographed. The use of classical music to run concurrent with the themes in the narrative is smartly rendered to the tricksy plot, while the writing is sharp and deserving of the utmost attention from the viewer. It's folly to suggest that when the film is away from the Rollerball ring it sags a touch, so patience is required and a respect of literate posturing is also expected to get the most out of it.

A deftly crafted dystopian sci-fier with literate smarts and lusty blood letting. 7.5/10

Rollerball is a downbeat and cerebral attempt at science fiction. The film centers around a type of deadly roller derby enjoyed by one of those societies in the "not so distant future". In this future, corporations are in charge (as if they haven't already been in charge for many years) and individual glory is strongly discouraged. A game like Rollerball is supposed to show the futility of individual achievement, and punctuate the need for teamwork. But when one veteran player knows as "Jonathan E." (Caan) becomes too popular, the corporation bosses decide to ask him to retire. When he declines, they decide to force him out. Since simply murdering him or making him disappear would be bad for public opinion, the corporation has other ideas. The game is made to be increasingly brutal, and he is targeted on the court by rival players. Still, Jonathan is a complicated fellow who can't seem to take a hint. He has no intention to retire. Does he crave the spotlight so much? Does he feel he has unfinished business left in terms of achievement within the sport? Perhaps, but this is never made clear. The only thing we know is they want him out. Badly.

Rollerball is not a bad film, but one can't help but see it as a missed opportunity. The game itself is a blast. Game action is spectacularly filmed considering the time this film was made. The sets look good, even though one rink was obviously used for each city. Too bad so much of this film is just dialog and forlorn longing for the days when corporations weren't so much in control. There are some laughable scenes, such as the one where Caan journeys to Geneva where supposedly all of the world's knowledge is stored on some master computer. Thankfully they didn't name him HAL, but clearly this and other computers in this film were inspired by Clarke and Kubrick's ideas. Anyway, the computer looks like some kind of aquarium you might see in a trendy club in Omaha's Midtown Crossing development. Of course it won't give Caan any answers, and this causes the human in charge (was that Ralph Richardson?) to beat on it wildly! Such a cheesy scene! Much of the film's inflated running time is filled with Caan acting forlorn and confused. His performance is downbeat and unconvincing. Most of the women in this film look like soap opera queens, but this is intended. Everyone in good graces with the energy corporation apparently gets his own trophy babe that has to be turned in every six months. But that wouldn't necessarily be so bad, would it? I didn't think this society looked all that bad, frankly. We don't learn much about how the masses live, however. We only see them as mind-numbed chanting sports fans.

Rollerball has some interesting ideas, but the film just lasts too long and doesn't have as much action as you'll probably want. The acting is often unconvincing, and the message a tired one. Corporations are ALWAYS the enemy in movies. Even as governments grow more and more powerful and intrusive. The corporations are always the problem. Always. The film does have some neat sets and some great stunt work during game action. For these reasons, its worth about 6 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

People will see what they want to see in films, especially when it comes to metaphorical sci-fi, and many clearly see profound greatness in this dystopian 1975 film set in, amusingly, 2018. But what I saw when watching "Rollerball" was an inert, dreary film that establishes a central conceit early on and then spends the rest of its lengthy running time not developing that conceit at all.

James Caan is zoned out in the central role of a celebrity Rollerball player who is asked by the shadowy corporate entities who seem to run everything, and who are represented by John Houseman, to retire because he has become too famous and is setting a bad example of an individual who is becoming more powerful than the masses. Individuality is to be avoided at all costs in this Orwellian world, apparently. Of course, if Caan gave the main character anything remotely resembling a personality, this premise might be more compelling. As it is, he wanders around looking confused and mumbling barely audible lines, and we're supposed to accept that he is a symbol of individualism because.....well, just because we are. Houseman is far more watchable, if only because he varies his inflections from time to time. He and his corporate cronies are supposed to be scary, but they're not very, because when Caan refuses to retire, they seem not to have any kind of backup plan for the eventuality that he might simply refuse.

The laconic torpor of the movie is somewhat alleviated once in a while by scenes of Rollerball games, but these don't do a whole lot to engage our interest because we don't know what the hell is going on during them. There's a ball, and some dudes on roller skates, and some other dudes on little scooters, and they go round and round a circular ring, and they're supposed to get the ball into a target, but beyond that we've got nothing.

"Rollerball" is an example of what happens when absolutely nothing about a film works at all.

Grade: D