Rollerball (1975)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

William Harrison (short story "Roller Ball Murder") &
William Harrison (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Sport

Tagline:

In the not-too-distant future, wars will no longer exist...

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Corporation | Future | Computer | Roller Skating | Bare Chested Male

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

James Caan	...	Jonathan E.
John Houseman	...	Bartholomew
Maud Adams	...	Ella
John Beck	...	Moonpie
Moses Gunn	...	Cletus
Pamela Hensley	...	Mackie
Barbara Trentham	...	Daphne
John Normington	...	Executive
Shane Rimmer	...	Rusty, Team Executive
Burt Kwouk	...	Japanese Doctor
Nancy Bleier	...	Girl in Library
Richard LeParmentier	...	Bartholomew's Aide (as Rick LeParmentier)
Robert Ito	...	Strategy Coach for Houston Team
Ralph Richardson	...	Librarian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Miquel Brown	...	(unconfirmed)
Steve Boyum	...	Biker (uncredited)
Tony Brubaker	...	Blue - Houston biker (uncredited)
Loftus Burton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Anthony Chinn	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Abi Gouhad	...	Reporter (uncredited)
David Griffin	...	Man Collecting Coats (uncredited)
Alan Hamane	...	Biker (uncredited)
John Harvey	...	Directorate executive (uncredited)
Andy Ho	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Lee	...	Executive (uncredited)
Bob Leon	...	Biker (uncredited)
Angus MacInnes	...	Jonathan's Guard (uncredited)
Mac McDonald	...	Executive (uncredited)
Bob Miller	...	Game Announcer (uncredited)
Bob Minor	...	Rollerball team member (uncredited)
Walter Scott	...	Tuffy (uncredited)
Alfred Thomas	...	Team Trainer (uncredited)
Burnell Tucker	...	Jonathan's Captain of Guard (uncredited)
Danny Wong	...	Biker (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
William Harrison		short story "Roller Ball Murder" &
William Harrison		screenplay

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	associate producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
John Box

Art Direction by
Robert W. Laing		(as Robert Laing)

Costume Design by
Julie Harris

Makeup Department
Leonard	....	hair consultant
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Larry DeWaay	....	supervising production manager (as Larry De Waay)
Ted Lloyd	....	production manager
Dieter Meyer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kip Gowans	....	first assistant director
Chris Kenny	....	assistant director
Max Kleven	....	second unit director
Peter Price	....	assistant director
Dietmar Siegert	....	assistant director

Art Department
Charles Bishop	....	assistant art director
Michael Redding	....	construction manager
Jack Towns	....	property master

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound mixer
Archie Ludski	....	dubbing editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects
John Richardson	....	special effects

Stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (as Craig Baxley)
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Minor	....	stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (as Jim Nickerson)
Chuck Parkison Jr.	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts (as Walt Scott)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
Jerry Wills	....	stunts
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis Fraser	....	key grip
Robin Vidgeon	....	assistant camera
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Robin Browne	....	photographer: second unit and aerials (uncredited)

Casting Department
Renate Arbes	....	casting: Munich (as Renate Arbes-Neuchl)
Mary Selway	....	casting: London

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Hilling	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ron Postal	....	james caan's wardrobe

Editorial Department
Terry Busby	....	assistant editor
Brian Mann	....	assistant editor
Amanda Palmer	....	assistant editor

Music Department
André Previn	....	conductor
André Previn	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Don French	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Yvonne Axeworthy	....	continuity
Charles Cannon	....	production accountant
Tom Carlile	....	publicist
Peter Hicks	....	skating supervisor
Golda Offenheim	....	production assistant
Julia Pascal	....	secretary to producer
Herbert Schurmann	....	track architect
Brian Smedley-Aston	....	sequences by multivision

Production Companies

• Algonquin

Distributors

• United Artists (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists Pictures (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1988) (Finland) (video)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1993) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Leonard of London  hair consultant
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music played by

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (2000) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1975) | New Zealand:M (re-rating) (2002) | New Zealand:R18 (orginal rating) (1976) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:16 (2002) | Netherlands:18 | Norway:18 (1976) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

BMW Building, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Algonquin

Trivia:

The game of Rollerball was so realistic the cast, extras, and stunt personnel played it between takes on the set.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the Madrid game, there is a shot of the crowd just after Jonathan E. takes possession of the ball for the first time; visible in the shot is the scoreboard, reading 1-0 Houston. Neither team has scored as yet.

Quotes:

Bartholomew: You can be made to quit, you know. You can be forced.
Jonathan E.: You can't make me quit.
Bartholomew: Don't tell me I can't. Don't EVER say that. I can. YOU can be stopped.
[as Jonathan E. leaves the room, he turns up the volume of a TV set, as thousands are cheering his name]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

Soundtrack:

Adagio

Controlling the beast within

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.