Directed by:
Norman JewisonScreenplay:
William HarrisonCinematography:
Douglas SlocombeComposer:
André PrevinCast:
James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn, Pamela Hensley, Barbara Trentham, Burt Kwouk, Ralph Richardson, Steve Boyum, Mac McDonald (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
The year is 2018. There are no wars. There is no crime. There is only...the Game. In a world where ruthless corporations reign supreme, this vicious and barbaric 'sport is the only outlet for the pent-up anger and frustrations of the masses.Tuned to their televisions, the people watch Rollerball : a brutal mutation of football, motocross and hockey. Jonathan E. (James Caan, Misery) is the champion playera man too talented for his own good. The Corporation has taken away the woman Jonathan loves (Maud Adams, Octopussy) but it can't take away his souleven if diabolical corporate head (John Houseman, The Paper Chase) tells him he d better retire...or sufferthe old-fashioned way. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (3)
A not at all silly view of a future controlled by corporations, where a brutal sport serves as a means to control the masses and to convince them about the insignificance of the life of the individual. It’s unnecessarily tedious and, due to the limited communicativeness that focuses on the protagonist, we don’t get to know much about that fictional world, but the motif of personal rebellion and the sketching of the social mores through the titular sport and its mysterious bigwigs work very well and there are two climactic scenes that make us keep our fingers crossed for tough-man Caan. The vision is not that unrealistic and it fulfils its purpose thanks to the competent direction and the music score. And I also didn’t mind seeing so many beautiful women… 70%
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2018: There are no more wars, people are living a brutal game of rollerball, taking pills for everything and nothing.... And they forgot the most important rule, which we fortunately still know: Never piss off James Caan. Rollerball may look like a B-movie, but it contains a very interesting idea and a very disturbing depiction of the future that I think we are getting closer and closer to. The matches are filmed really well and you don't even feel like you're watching a fictional game, everything is also perfectly acted and above all musically scored. The finale is thrilling and breathtaking. Four pure stars.
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If it wasn't unnecessarily stretched out and focused too much on the characters, which almost bothered in this case, it would be great. That opening scene from the game is absolutely great. Dynamic, action-packed, and it even has a great concept. However, then the movie tries to be something more, which simply doesn't suit it. It should have ended with just being a packed action. The sport itself is a great concept.
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