Rollerball (1975 film)

Did You Know?

• Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, performed by Simon Preston, bookends the film.
• The film had its European premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on September 3, 1975.
• William Harrison stated he never watched the 2002 remake and had no interest in it.

Plot

In 2018, Jonathan E. captains the Houston Rollerball team. Mr. Bartholomew, chairman of the Energy Corporation, offers him a retirement package, but Jonathan refuses and asks to see his former wife Ella. At a library, Jonathan discovers all books have been digitized and edited by corporations. His friend Cletus warns him the Executive Committee fears him. The sport becomes increasingly violent as rules change to force Jonathan out; a semi-final match leaves his teammate Moonpie brain-dead. The Executive Committee decides the final will have no penalties, no substitutions, and no time limit, hoping to kill Jonathan. He travels to Geneva to consult the supercomputer Zero, but finds its memory corrupted. Ella visits to urge his retirement, but Jonathan realizes the visit was staged. He erases a cherished film of them and decides to play the championship game against New York.

Production

Norman Jewison bought the story from William Harrison and co-wrote the screenplay with him. Arena sequences were shot at the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle in Munich, chosen for its near-circular profile. The BMW Headquarters and Museum appear as Energy Corporation buildings. Exterior shots of the Palace of Nations were used for Geneva. Additional filming occurred at Fawley Power Station and Pinewood Studios. The film was shot in 35mm with a 1.85 aspect ratio, but released in some theaters in 70mm with a 2:1 ratio. The sport was conceptualized as a blend of a roulette wheel and a pinball machine, combining roller derby, hockey, football, motocross, and judo. Rollerball was the first major Hollywood production to credit its stunt performers.

Reception

Rollerball earned $6.2 million in theatrical rentals in the United States and Canada. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 56% approval rating from 112 critics, with the consensus noting its striking brutality and visual splendor but shallow characterizations. Metacritic gives a score of 56 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Most major critics were negative upon release; Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it elaborate and very silly, criticizing its lack of satire and humor.

Video games

In 1985, IJK Software released Rocketball for the Commodore 64, with scoring rules based on the film's game. Microïds published Killerball in 1989 for several platforms. An official Rollerball video game was in development by Z-Axis Games for PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo 64, set 10 years after the film, but was canceled after MGM Interactive went bankrupt. A mobile phone game based on the 1975 film was released in 2004. The 2022 game Rollerdrome cited the film as a major influence.