Rollerball - 1975, Dir: Norman Jewison

   A film that has been described as an 'Orwellian sports movie' is an interesting proposition. Featuring a premise that stemmed from William Harrison's 'Roller Ball Murder' (1975) short story, it depicts a futuristic society in which nations have fallen away in the wake of corporate power. Direction came from Norman Jewison, a Canadian whos credits prior to this included The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and musicals Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).

   To a viewer watching at a time in which this corporate stranglehold has seemingly become a reality, it might be argued that Rollerball holds more significance than ever. James Caan leads the cast as the cryptically named Jonathan E. Jonathan is a member of the Houston team and generally considered as the top player in the world. Caan is very much the biggest name actor in Jewison's film, just a year after paying an expensive toll as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather: Part II (1974).

   The main conceivable reason why this film earned a 2002 remake is its significantly dated appearance to the contemporary film viewer. There is a typical '70s blandness in the 'futuristic' sets and we see obselete technology at every turn. Even simple things like the use of roller boots instead of rollerblades in the game itself are very representative of the film's vintage. While these aspects will always be somewhat detrimental to the experience of a film such as this, it is important to consider a film so thematically rich on a much broader level. 

   The 'sport' of Rollerball is, in a word, ludicrous. Played on what is essentially a velodrome, two teams on roller boots and motorcycles attempt to score points by getting a ball into a scoring target on the surrounding wall. It is a physical sport, played at speed, and this naturally creates many opportunities for spectacular thrills and spills. The film is structured around three of Houston's matches: the opening quarter-final scene, the semi-final in the middle and the climactic final showdown.

   Urged to retire by the corporate Powers That Be, Jonathan's determination to continue his sporting career causes some rather drastic rule reductions in the sport. The subsequent increase in violence puts the lives of the protagonist and his team-mates in jeopardy. Along the way, a rather weak ex-wife storyline is presented and Jonathan also embarks on a quest for information on the mysterious corporations and their decision-making processes. The latter strand culminates in a laughable scene in which Caan is encouraged to ask a 'supercomputer' (that is essentially a talking water cooler) for answers. 

Whip It + Testosterone + Silliness = Rollerball?

   The lead actor's performance could be generously described as off-beat. His line delivery (in scenes in which he is not wearing roller boots) largely consists of mumbling and Caan's portrayal of Jonathan E does not conform to any traditional 'sports star' archetype. There is a reluctant nature to the character, a trait that Caan perhaps hoped would be refreshing in a leading sportsman, but only results in producing a very strange performance. 

   Personally, I feel that fans of this cult film overplay the deepness of its themes; namely those of corporate dominance in a dystopian society and the power of the individual. I feel it possesses interesting ideas about violence in society and the nature of sports celebrities, but as a film fan I see very little conviction in the execution of these ideas on screen. Putting aside the dated aesthetic and Caan's performance, Rollerball is an ambitious 70s sci-fi which, while watchable enough, stumbles a little to maintain focus on its central plot and as a result does not fulfil its greater potential. 

Verdict: 5/10