Rollerball (1975)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.5/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Escritores:

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

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

25 junio 1975 (USA)

Género:

Acción | Ciencia-Ficción | Deporte

Frase comercial:

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:

Futuristic | Corporation | Applause | Handshake | Violence

Premios:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Controlling the beast within

Reparto

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
listado alfabético del resto del reparto:
Miquel Brown	...	(unconfirmed)

Duración:

125 min

País:

UK

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Relación de Aspecto:

1.85 : 1

Sonido:

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

Clasificación:

Finland:K-16 (uncut) (2000) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | 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)

Locaciones de Filmación:

BMW Building, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Compañía:

Algonquin

Trivialidades:

This was the first film to give full screen credits to the stunt performers. Normally their work would go uncredited, but the director was so impressed by their work, he felt moved to include their names in the closing credits. Ever since, stunt performers have received screen credit for their work.

Errores:

Continuidad: in the New York game, #3 is seen after he goes "off the board" (riding motorcycle 2) and #2 is also seen in the same manner later in the game.

Citas:

Jonathan E.: Does he... ah... Does he dream?
Japanese Doctor: No. There is no brain wave at all. No sort of consciousness. Just a deep coma. A vegetable. No dreams. Nothing.
Jonathan E.: But even, uh, a plant... uh, feels something.
Japanese Doctor: Who can say? Please.
[hands Jonathan the release form]
Jonathan E.: It, uh, senses life. I mean, uh, it turns towards the sun. It's alive, isn't it?
Japanese Doctor: [stressing] You must sign.
Jonathan E.: You, uh, you just leave him the way he is. Just leave him the way he is.
Japanese Doctor: Someone will have to sign. There is no other way.
Jonathan E.: Arrangements will be made.
[...]

Conexiones de Película:

Referenced in "NewsRadio: Movie Star (#3.8)" (1996)

Banda de Sonido:

Symphony no. 8: First Movement

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.