It originally was released with a specific perspective on what the future could hold for society in 1975 and although in the context of the decade the vision of what science-fiction cinema could be was created with films like STAR WARS, Norman Jewison’s ROLLERBALL is now, in the context of 2020, actually quite a visionary film in terms of its’ analysis of corporations taking over the world, the issue of energy consumption and the ideal of sports hero worship.
It was adapted from a short story called ROLLER BALL MURDER, written by William Harrison, a slight story in that none of what appeared on screen was even suggested by the story, which is essentially revealing the thoughts of a player before he goes on the track.
James Caan is superstar Jonathan E, who is the king of the world’s key sports game Rollerball, a mix of all manner of physical contact sports involving teams in a circular, angled track whose goal is to throw a heavy metal ball into a funnel receptacle which is carried at speed from a pinball shot in roulette fashion.
However, Jonathan is top of his game and head of the Corporation in Houston, where he plays the Rollerball game for the team, Mr. Bartholomew (John Houseman) is keen to see him retire from the game and become the face of the upper tier, but Jonathan is not too keen on the idea and is disillusioned with what the world represents to him, with his wife having been taken away from him.
Things also get more intense in a match with Tokyo where is team-mate Moonpie (John Beck) is injured in the game in retaliation for some of his own acts on the track, coupled with the fact that the game rules become increasingly lax, leading to all manner of changes in tactics and strategies. The scene is set for even more confrontation…
One of James Caan’s career defining roles, the other being Sonny in Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER (1971), ROLLERBALL is another of the futuristic visions that has actually found society catching up with in its’ ideas and thoughts.
A hugely unsuccessful remake, directed by John (DIE HARD) McTiernan and starring Chris Klein (AMERICAN PIE) , followed in 2002