The extras and Rollerball players in this movie liked playing it so much they played during breaks and also they seriously discussed starting a Rollerball league.
OMG. People remembering how they stayed up to watch Rollerball "on TV". Today, as a 61 year iold , that now sounds so odd to me. In 1975, I was just old enough to be allowed into the Cinema to see it on the big screen during its First release - and that seems like only yesterday. How time flies. Memories of Norman Jewison's superb film have stayed with me through all the long years since - and they will never leave. Utterly magnificent.
The clarity of message in 70s science fiction movies is epic. Rollerball, Clockwork Orange, Zardoz and so many more. So telling of story. Different stories one and all, but wonderful stories and many prophetic and in 2024 accurate today.
At last recognition of how intelligent this movie was .!! When I first saw this movie I recognised the interesting themes behind the film while others considered it disposable violent garbage. Well done remembering and reminding people of its importance and prophetic vision which is relevant today .
the irony that very often science fiction-related entertainment is seen as ¨childish¨ whilst the most mainstream forms of entertainment considered ¨for adults¨ basically consist on teams of grown ass men playing with balls🙃
This movie has ended up aging remarkably well. We all remember loving the skating scenes but upon a recent rewatch my jaw was on the floor over how accurately it is predicting the future. The supercomputer locked away in a secure bunker? That’s coming.
Problem is that Rollerball hasn’t stayed in the public consciousness in the way that Bladerunner or Alien have. Our generation probably knows it but not the young’uns, eh?
Huh. I had a somewhat different interpretation of that ending. To me Jonathan E was always an example of how an individual can be defiant to the end but it will remain an individual action. Its left open in the movie ofcourse what the result of his defiance is but I somehow think its much less likely to lead to a revolution than it is to be forgotten by next years season, much like our current day celebrities antics get forgotten once the news cycle did a turn. But then I've always been one for bleak endings :)
I've got to admit that that is how I've always interpreted the ending, from when I first saw it as a teenager to when I recently re-watched it. It always seemed that it was a pyrrhic victory and that, after his few minutes as victor, the ''Corporation'' would crush him to dust. I'll admit that I may have been wrong, but at the time I dismissed it as a dystopian, exploitative movie.
Thinking about it now, I think that Jonathon E's feeling of lack of freedom derives less from the loss of his wife but that losing his wife showed him that, while he has been showered with gifts, privileges and honors, he is actually a low status male. In the world of Rollerball status is demonstrated by the, let's say quality, of the woman that a man possesses and that he is able to maintain possession of said woman. Since Jonathon doesn't actually possess a woman, they are only loaned to him*, he is not the alpha male that he imagined himself to be. He internalizes this realization as a lack of freedom of everybody in general since he is unable to accept the fact of his true status. *Similar, in a way, to how female slaves were parceled out to the gladiator trainees in the film "Spartacus" (1960).
"...he is actually a low status male." This was also suggested when we was milling around at the executive party. He was a guest of honor for about five minutes, became essentially superfluous during the screening of the special, and then finally ended up sitting outside alone.
I still remember the first time i saw the movie on television. Remains intact after all theses years. Has a huge impact on my way of seeing things, even today. Thank you for the great analysis.
Masterpiece of analysis. This movie really impacted me when I saw it on tv in the 80s. The raw violence for the sake of violence, as a sport for the masses! Brilliant
While i was in the Army i didn't play football but i played the fuck out of some rugby. This is also one of my favorite movies to play with my friends. Many injuries.😂
And then there's Kropotkin's idea of liberty through what he called "Mutual Aid," a vision that Iain M Banks really ran with in his amazing novels. Although I don't expect that our corporate entertainment overlords are going to be in a huge hurry to create a film version any time soon...
Actually, the violence in Rollerball was inspired by the violence in ice hockey during the 70's. Oh, we do play rugby in America in preschool until we grow up and learn to play proper football.
In my school we used to play soccer (in the 1970s) without really knowing the rules of soccer. So we had no rules against any kind of contact. If you were near the ball - expect to get flattened.
Hey man, I have over the last few week or so been working on a sign which is carved out of wood and has taken many days of work, and during that time I have gone through pretty much all of your video essays, and I just want to say how much I have enjoyed them all, I love all your content and it has been a really enjoyable few days. I love all the philosophy that comes with understanding works of science fiction, and I don't personally have time to go into all these works myself, so I appreciate your videos very much. Thank you
Thinking this through about liberty, mastery, power, and imposition I wonder if the "whole of the 13th century" was deleted because of Magna Carta, among other things.
Don't know why it's taken me so long to find your channel but I am glad I have. Great essay on this movie that has stuck with me all my life. I saw this in a movie theater as a double feature with Sissy Spacek's CARRIE as a kid all those years ago. Now I need to start watching the rest of your videos.
luxury destroys you phisically and mentally, is decadence. is not bad to enjoy it now and then, but if you live in it, you lose your edge, and you disconnect from reality, and stop caring about it.
Like you, I saw this movie before I should have. I was 9 yo as I recall. It didn't make much sense but I was captivated by such a powerful masculine figure. I saw it again when I was 20 yo, more or less. I understood Jonathan's defiance and didn't quite understand why he rejected his love interest. I saw it once more around my mid 30s. He refused her because he didn't want to owe anything to "the man". Now, you provided an even deeper understanding of the movie. Thank you.
I saw Rollerball and Logans Run in the theater when they first came out. Both films themes are no longer fiction today,, and I only paid 50 cents on Thursday night at my local.
If I was rich and powerful I would build an arena for powerball. Maybe no spikes on the gloves but somewhat the same. I have no doubt the arena would make money.
Yeah, the corporatocracy very well exposed. The show society being explained under ultra capitalism and social instrumentalis for getting more profits.
As an American that grew up racing motocross and played rugby in high school, let me tell you, the NFL is dying. Most all mainstream sport leagues are dying in America. In my mind, the leagues today are operated like the game in Rollerball.
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
This is STILL an underappreciated dark masterpiece.
The extras and Rollerball players in this movie liked playing it so much they played during breaks and also they seriously discussed starting a Rollerball league.
My prediction is that the future racing toward us will be a mash-up of "Rollerball" and "Soylent Green."
Rollerball is people! Rollerball! Is! People!
I'm pure sure the world has avoided the madness of "Soylent Green." As for the other, corporations have been in charge of things for some time now.
OMG. People remembering how they stayed up to watch Rollerball "on TV". Today, as a 61 year iold , that now sounds so odd to me.
In 1975, I was just old enough to be allowed into the Cinema to see it on the big screen during its First release - and that seems like only yesterday. How time flies. Memories of Norman Jewison's superb film have stayed with me through all the long years since - and they will never leave. Utterly magnificent.
The clarity of message in 70s science fiction movies is epic. Rollerball, Clockwork Orange, Zardoz and so many more. So telling of story. Different stories one and all, but wonderful stories and many prophetic and in 2024 accurate today.
At last recognition of how intelligent this movie was .!!
When I first saw this movie I recognised the interesting themes behind the film while others considered it disposable violent garbage.
Well done remembering and reminding people of its importance and prophetic vision which is relevant today .
It looked like a stupid movie when I was a kid. $till does. Turns out it had an important theme.
the irony that very often science fiction-related entertainment is seen as ¨childish¨ whilst the most mainstream forms of entertainment considered ¨for adults¨ basically consist on teams of grown ass men playing with balls🙃
I think Rollerball is made for the "boys to men" audience. It would be overwhelmed by real combat sports if released today.
@@DamienWalter Maybe so. But those combat sports of Today - are nowhere as interesting as Rollerball WAS..
This movie has ended up aging remarkably well. We all remember loving the skating scenes but upon a recent rewatch my jaw was on the floor over how accurately it is predicting the future.
The supercomputer locked away in a secure bunker? That’s coming.
Problem is that Rollerball hasn’t stayed in the public consciousness in the way that Bladerunner or Alien have. Our generation probably knows it but not the young’uns, eh?
I do now!
Well that godawful remake with Chris Klein in James Caan’s role didn’t help its legacy.
@@richlisola1Oh god that's a thing?
No one knew about Blade Runner until the stupid sequel came out. All of the sudden, everyone was a fan for years...
That’s why I just had my 16 year old son watch it!
Glad to see you back making videos! Hope you’re feeling better.
Huh. I had a somewhat different interpretation of that ending. To me Jonathan E was always an example of how an individual can be defiant to the end but it will remain an individual action. Its left open in the movie ofcourse what the result of his defiance is but I somehow think its much less likely to lead to a revolution than it is to be forgotten by next years season, much like our current day celebrities antics get forgotten once the news cycle did a turn. But then I've always been one for bleak endings :)
I've got to admit that that is how I've always interpreted the ending, from when I first saw it as a teenager to when I recently re-watched it. It always seemed that it was a pyrrhic victory and that, after his few minutes as victor, the ''Corporation'' would crush him to dust. I'll admit that I may have been wrong, but at the time I dismissed it as a dystopian, exploitative movie.
Thinking about it now, I think that Jonathon E's feeling of lack of freedom derives less from the loss of his wife but that losing his wife showed him that, while he has been showered with gifts, privileges and honors, he is actually a low status male. In the world of Rollerball status is demonstrated by the, let's say quality, of the woman that a man possesses and that he is able to maintain possession of said woman. Since Jonathon doesn't actually possess a woman, they are only loaned to him*, he is not the alpha male that he imagined himself to be. He internalizes this realization as a lack of freedom of everybody in general since he is unable to accept the fact of his true status.
*Similar, in a way, to how female slaves were parceled out to the gladiator trainees in the film "Spartacus" (1960).
Yes. Good reading. That's his deep motivation.
"...he is actually a low status male." This was also suggested when we was milling around at the executive party. He was a guest of honor for about five minutes, became essentially superfluous during the screening of the special, and then finally ended up sitting outside alone.
I would say Jonathan E not being a fan of superficial relationships actually makes him MORE of an alpha male.
I still remember the first time i saw the movie on television. Remains intact after all theses years. Has a huge impact on my way of seeing things, even today.
Thank you for the great analysis.
Masterpiece of analysis. This movie really impacted me when I saw it on tv in the 80s. The raw violence for the sake of violence, as a sport for the masses! Brilliant
While i was in the Army i didn't play football but i played the fuck out of some rugby. This is also one of my favorite movies to play with my friends. Many injuries.😂
And then there's Kropotkin's idea of liberty through what he called "Mutual Aid," a vision that Iain M Banks really ran with in his amazing novels. Although I don't expect that our corporate entertainment overlords are going to be in a huge hurry to create a film version any time soon...
I love Rollerball
Actually, the violence in Rollerball was inspired by the violence in ice hockey during the 70's. Oh, we do play rugby in America in preschool until we grow up and learn to play proper football.
In my school we used to play soccer (in the 1970s) without really knowing the rules of soccer. So we had no rules against any kind of contact. If you were near the ball - expect to get flattened.
Bread and Circuses to keep the masses under control.
I love your take on this great classic mist people have never heard of-
Hey man, I have over the last few week or so been working on a sign which is carved out of wood and has taken many days of work, and during that time I have gone through pretty much all of your video essays, and I just want to say how much I have enjoyed them all, I love all your content and it has been a really enjoyable few days. I love all the philosophy that comes with understanding works of science fiction, and I don't personally have time to go into all these works myself, so I appreciate your videos very much. Thank you
Thinking this through about liberty, mastery, power, and imposition I wonder if the "whole of the 13th century" was deleted because of Magna Carta, among other things.
Don't know why it's taken me so long to find your channel but I am glad I have. Great essay on this movie that has stuck with me all my life. I saw this in a movie theater as a double feature with Sissy Spacek's CARRIE as a kid all those years ago. Now I need to start watching the rest of your videos.
luxury destroys you phisically and mentally, is decadence. is not bad to enjoy it now and then, but if you live in it, you lose your edge, and you disconnect from reality, and stop caring about it.
Like you, I saw this movie before I should have. I was 9 yo as I recall. It didn't make much sense but I was captivated by such a powerful masculine figure. I saw it again when I was 20 yo, more or less. I understood Jonathan's defiance and didn't quite understand why he rejected his love interest. I saw it once more around my mid 30s. He refused her because he didn't want to owe anything to "the man". Now, you provided an even deeper understanding of the movie. Thank you.
Today’s standards? We have no standards today.
Yeah, this film basically ruined me for capitalism.
My memory of the film is the the trip to Switzerland.One more thing the 2000AD strips Mean Arena and Harlem Heroes.
I saw Rollerball and Logans Run in the theater when they first came out. Both films themes are no longer fiction today,, and I only paid 50 cents on Thursday night at my local.
Brilliant!
My question is was that style of futuristic typeface something this movie introduced or was that already something in the zeitgeist at that time?
Zeitgeist. These are variations on early computer fonts, which had a low pixel count so needed extreme emphasis to be readable.
I don’t think it was pixel count but instead had to do with machine readability of the characters.@@DamienWalter
@@ilikenicethings MCR fonts look a lot like that, for that reason.
Pity the "remake" looked like it had the hover board guys from Back to the Future.
Holy shit! I finally get the Justice song “new lands” music video reference.
a great music video!
If I was rich and powerful I would build an arena for powerball. Maybe no spikes on the gloves but somewhat the same. I have no doubt the arena would make money.
Yeah, the corporatocracy very well exposed. The show society being explained under ultra capitalism and social instrumentalis for getting more profits.
Love the movie. I have a pair of those gloves!
As an American that grew up racing motocross and played rugby in high school, let me tell you, the NFL is dying. Most all mainstream sport leagues are dying in America. In my mind, the leagues today are operated like the game in Rollerball.
Rugby 🏉 is a lot like Football 🏈-I’d argue football is a superior sport.
for girls
American Football is an interesting sport indeed. But I'm sorry - it's not a patch on Rugby.
@@DamienWalter Ah...but the football fans?
I wonder if E is meant to stand for Everyman.
Something like that.
Not even one minute
Rollerball League 2025
American football is true human soul
His name isn't 'Tarantino' and the notion that he would do this justice is pure comedy. He's a plagiarist who never had an original idea.
You're going to discover his name is 100% Tarantino.
@@DamienWalter Okay. Tiny hat club.
@@benjammin4247ok. Too much Addy...