Rollerball (Widescreen/Full Screen)

 

 

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As a kid growing up in rural Snohomish, Washington in the 70's i was a big fan of this movie; I was thrilled, involved & excited by the furiously nasty snap of the game, which is not at all what the director Norman Jewsion intended; ( sorry, i was only 8 or 9!) Then a few years ago i read the short story by William Harrison and was struck by its sense of poetry, nostalgia and loss and also its sense of danger and foreboding--it really makes the game seem scary-- its quite a nice piece of writing. Then i watched the film again and was struck by how much of that melancholy tone from the story Jewison was able to capture in the film, without sacrificing any of the punch of the Rollerball games themselves. Ah, the 1970's! The last decade before sci fi got blanded-out and watered down for mass-consumption. While watching this film you get a sense of intelligence at work; a sense of something being communicated besides crass marketing of toys and tie-ins. This is one sci fi film that looks remarkably contemporary-- no one wears anything made of silver spandex-- and the themes--of depersonalization in the face of consumerism, of corportate-ruled societies filled with a drugged-out leisure class, of the slick and cynical packaging of violence as entertainment in modern sporting spectacles--are as timely as ever. I hate to say this but if you want to see just what an intelligent, thoughtful and well-made film ROLLERBALL is all you have to do is watch the incredibly stupid, insulting and uncalled for re-make; Its garbage, totally worthless. This one is a gem. And special mention must be made of JAMES CAAN who seems so perfectly at ease in the role that you'd think he really was a professional athlete in a dangerous future sport; he inhabits the role in a way that makes it impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part. He is especially good, oddly enough, in the quieter, more reflective scenes where he manages to suggest his character's loneliness and isolation with a mimimum of expression. Its a nicely modulated interior performance, perfectly countered by his furious grace and power when he is dispatching foes on the Rollerball track. Also excellent is JOHN HOUSEMAN, who has one of the biggest roles of his career here as the all powerful Mr Bartholomew, head of the ENERGY Corporation; he has an air of the tired aristocrat about him-- suave, jaded and menacing-- perfect for the role. The DVD edition offered here is a great bargain; the film hasn't looked this good since it was released in theatres in 1975! And Norman Jewison provides an interesting and enlightening commentary. I am glad to see that MR Jewsion seems to have a certain fondness for this film because in my opinion its one of the best science fiction films that has ever been made and it joins SOYLENT GREEN and PUNISHMENT PARK as one of the benchmarks of 1970's cautionary sci fi film-making.

In the future you will live horror nightmares , and feel the pression of an overcrowded world , but instead you'll have always Rollerball!
I saw this film from its release in 1975 , and I watched again three months ago . The film hasn't lost just a bit from its initial impact.
The knock out performance given by James Caan supported by a dark story about the fate of these future gladiators will let you thinking about the entertainment as mass media phenomen and the deep implications about the way of living .
Caan obviously is tired , he refuses to keep that job and wants to escape from this show business cycle but you know : the rules are the rules. The conflict is announced and the final combat will be an unforgettable experience.
Good transfer on DVD!
Superb script and dazzling direction!

The commentary uhhhhhh option for this film, dirrrrr, uh, director Norman Jewison, uhhhhhhh, talk..... ing about the making of, uh, the film, really makes one wonder ahhhhhhh how a narcolepsy-inducer like this could ever make an action film as fine as Rollerball. Buy the DVD for sure, but -- uh, errrrrrr -- SKIP the director's comments!

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1.0 out of 5 stars are you kidding me?
I've heard nothing but bad reviews and it looks like they were justified because this movie blows. Plot is pretty weak and the fact that its set in Kazakhstan is even stupider. Read more

Published on July 18 2004 by Victoria

4.0 out of 5 stars JEWISON SHOOTS - -HE SCORES !!!
Sci-fi Schmi-fi. If you are interested in good filmmaking I recomend spending an evening with Norman Jewison's ROLLERBALL. Read more

Published on Feb 22 2004 by JohnK

4.0 out of 5 stars "How bout a good old American fist in the face!"
Future corporate gang warfare sponsored by Enron.

Amazing synchronicity with current day events and forecasts of the near future. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2004 by Ghenghis

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating speculation of a possible future society.
This is a story dealing with the struggle of one man to stand against society's establishment in a future society dominated by huge mega-corporations. Read more

Published on Jan 1 2004 by Roger J. Buffington

4.0 out of 5 stars A very cool movie
And one of James Caan's finest. I'm glad it hasn't been forgotten.

It's the future, and the corporations have taken over, providing bread and circuses to the masses while doing... Read more

Published on Dec 29 2003 by John S. Ryan

3.0 out of 5 stars Great 70s Science Fiction, Horrible Commentary
"Rollerball" is one of the great science fiction movies of the seventies, the kind big, cautionary distopian flicks they used to make before Star Wars came along and... Read more

Published on Oct 3 2003 by curtis martin

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than the remake.
Lot of action....good for the time period. This movie was copied alot so you know it has at least SOME substance. Read more

Published on Jun 20 2003 by Chip J. Diggens

4.0 out of 5 stars "This was never meant to be a game! Never!"
The rollerball game of the future was created for a special reason. "To show the futility of individual effort. Read more

Published on Dec 20 2002 by Paul Kyriazi

3.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, not so great DVD
I'm not going into precise detail what's in the movie, since many before me have already done that. There are areas where the movie appears to lag, such as many of the scenes... Read more

Published on Dec 15 2002 by JOHN NATHAN

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sci-fi - one of James Caan best film
A very popular film back then ,a must see for all sci fi fan .dont miss this great piece of american cinema at its finest.One of James Caan best film made in 70s

Published on Nov 6 2002

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