Rollerball

In 2018, in a world where countries and states have been replaced by corporate entities, Rollerball, a deadly arena sport, brings in the crowds.

All individualism is banned. As a result, the undisputed Rollerball champion Jonathan E’s notoriety, about to reach otherworldly proportions, poses a problem. It is absolutely essential to force him to retreat from the public eye… Rollerball is a dystopian entertainment activity of brutal yet fine intelligence. It places an intuitive hero, beautifully interpreted by James Caan, in an understated performance, at the heart of a purposely dehumanized world. 

The actor stands straight with his broad shoulders, speaking in his soft voice that is never raised, with his gaze always alert and calculating, while he is affronted by manipulative rhetoric of every kind by the powers that be. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking. Norman Jewison alternates between ultra-violent action scenes and moments of seeming tenderness… the most dangerous situations aren’t necessarily the most obvious. The filmmaker constantly plays on contrasts to keep the viewer’s attention and tension at a maximum. He thus juxtaposes a few dashes through the outdoors, in natural landscapes, like a lost paradise, with other scenes taking place in the low-ceilinged corridors that the hero navigates, like an ant in a terrarium. Ultimately, the film comes together as a cohesive whole, held together by remarkable artistic direction, filled with amber colors and a mellow sound, enveloping you like a warm poison. 

Aside from the aesthetics, the use of melodies from a classical repertoire, such as Albinoni’s Adagio, convey an overriding sense of eternity in a modern, futuristic world. Released in 1975, Rollerball sketches the portrait of an individual man who lets his feelings run free. Unbound by friendship or even love, he becomes a mortal threat to what remains of authority, because he is unpredictable, even to himself. Can Jonathan E. find the ultimate escape? This notion makes the film overwhelming. 

Virginie Apiou