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“This wasn’t meant to be a game! Never!”
So cried actor Shane Rimmer in Rollerball, a 1975 cautionary tale about the dangers of corporate power, greed and excess. James Caan plays Jonathan E., an all-time great skater who transcends skating into oblivion in the lean, deadly futuristic sport known as Rollerball. But when the corporation decides that Jonathan has reached the end of his lifespan, can Jonathan continue to rebel against authority purely through individualism and free spirit? Can we too?
That’s the kind of question that comes up in every Norman Jewison movie. The filmmaker, who directed and produced Rollerball, died last week at the age of 97, leaving behind a legacy of social cinema that won’t soon be forgotten. From the racist classic “In the Hot Night,” to the Cold War satire “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” to the Teamster analogy “FIST,” to the Vietnam veteran story “Countryside.” Jewison was always interested in this question. something Along with his movies.
So what does a movie about a dystopian future society that worships the gladiator’s death sport of roller skating mean? – Do I have to say it? Even 49 years after its release, quite a few things have come to light. Because, for Jewison, as Rimmer’s head coaching personality helpfully points out, Rollerball was never intended as a game.. And he’s not just talking about bloodsport.
The film starts out foreboding enough, with Bach’s organ piece “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” playing on the soundtrack (You’ll understand if you ask) Meanwhile, the Rollerball Stadium is shrouded in darkness, awaiting the entrance of the next futuristic era gladiator/victim. The music is a familiar horror movie accompaniment, and it’s about as far removed from “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as you can get. As workers prepare the circular arena for the game, the lights slowly come on, fans begin filing into seats in the stands, and teams take their positions on the court, so to speak. That’s where Houston, Jonathan E., is the defending world champion. Against this week’s hated enemy, a visit to Madrid.
However, before things begin, the company song must be sung.No, it’s not Nationwide National Anthem; We learn that in the near-future world of Rollerball, “nations” no longer exist. Instead, the planet is ruled by corporations, and each corporation has specific areas of interest. Houston’s team, and therefore Jonathan, are under the jurisdiction of the Energy Corporation, personified by the ruthless executive Mr. Bartholomew (John Houseman, with unmistakable eyebrows).
As the national anthem blares (composed by Andre Previn), the same uninspired atmosphere is only matched by the facial expressions, or lack thereof, of the players, who dutifully stand on the sidelines for the game to begin, waiting for it to end. be done. . In fact, the only real emotion shown during the national anthem seems to be the rhythmic tapping of Jonathan’s impatient, prickly-gloved fist on his foot. He can’t wait to get in there and open some heads.
The Rollerballers’ uniforms are amusingly old-fashioned, a mix of football, hockey, and roller derby styles, with futuristic fonts and helmet styles that are standard for the 1970s, and are sure to appeal to someone who lives across the street. I guess that’s what my child thought. On Christmas 1979, I received a Christmas present. But gameplay is a completely different matter. When players catch a ball fired from something like a cannon, they can actually feel the heavy metal ball. Their physicality is impressive as they chase the ball and beat each other up. And when Jonathan scored the first goal, the sound of the goal was as loud as the cheers.
Oh, and did we mention there are motorcycles too?
Born in the Bronx and raised in the mean streets, Khan’s vibe makes you imagine that Jonathan had a tough start in life, and that his wits and fists helped him get to where he is today. In a sense, he climbed his career ladder. But for what? He is now so big that Energy is threatened by his popularity with the public. What good is it if the Empire’s gladiators become more popular than the Empire itself? “Jonathan, they’re afraid of you,” his friend and trainer Cletus (Moses Gunn) warns him.
There, Mr. Bartholomew, the houseman, explained to Jonathan, at first very politely, but then with increasing impatience, that the time had come for him to retire. He is being put out to pasture. Remember the boxer in Orwell’s Animal Farm? That’s Jonathan now, but instead of being slaughtered and turned into glue like that poor character, he lives out his life in meaningless prosperity. facing the fate of (Jonathan seems like that. have Like Boxer, he had never questioned monarchs. Even when they whisk away his wife Ella (Maud Adams) to marry his powerful executive. And Jonathan, like Boxer, is probably not the brightest lightbulb, but now that he’s been asked to give up his precious rollerball, he’s finally woken up to how powerless he is in this world.
When a lavish party is held in Jonathan’s honor, attended by all sorts of socialites, whispers are heard about the true identity of the Rollerballers. “They’re androids. They’re all programmed,” says one attendee. “Made in Detroit,” someone else suggests. Are the people drinking martinis, wearing tuxedos, and attending empty parties serious? Do they really think athletes are robots, and if so, does that give them a permission structure to enjoy the violence of the game? Or are they talking about themselves after all? “We are androids. We are all programmed. And we do what the company tells us to do, and in return we receive a nice drink and a tuxedo.” Even when Jonathan stops performing, You can wear a tuxedo and drink a martini.
There is a glimpse of humanity in this crowd. During a multi-vision special about Jonathan’s career, a slow-motion shot of Jonathan defeating an opponent is omitted, accompanied by a crunchy sound (Zack Snyder would be proud), and party-goers I see one of them standing outside, staring at me. She walks away with tears in her eyes. Perhaps Jonathan isn’t the only one who realizes how badly everything has gone. Either that, or I just forgot to take the mood-altering drug that everyone in this world seems to be handing out like Altoid.
“The corporate world was an inevitable destiny,” Bartholomew said at one point. “A material dream world. Everything touched by man is now available.” But Jonathan now realizes that everything came at a price: freedom. Bartholomew also points out that it was “made to prove the futility of individual effort,” even though in his case it was the freedom to play rollerball. And the bet was set: Jonathan’s personality against the very company he was trying to destroy. everyone’s Individuality.
In the era of large-scale layoffs teeth It’s happening more and more frequently the rich get richer, it’s not too hard to see that the game Jewison was actually talking about in 1975 has only further escalated in its dangers in the decades since.as The company will become Increasingly powerful ordinary people are powerless to stop them, even though their very livelihoods are in the hands of these same corporations. Neither Jonathan nor you are too special to not be sent to the glue factory.
The final 15 minutes of Rollerball depict the world championship game between Houston and New York. Ever since Jonathan first refused to retire, corporations have continued to change the rules of the game, hoping to beat him at the very game he loves. And at this point, Rollerball is essentially a deathmatch. No penalties, no substitutions, no time. limit. The one who survives till the end wins.
Jewison directs the finale in a dark atmosphere.There’s no doubt about it This was not intended to be a game, and the adrenaline rush of the previous matches is replaced by a kind of nihilistic resignation. Players on both sides are taken down one by one, their heads crushed, their roller skates turned into weapons, their bodies dragged, and their bikes exploding. By the end of the match, only Jonathan and his opponent remain, and the stadium is eerily silent. As is often the case with films of this era, there are none of the explosive fireworks we would expect from a genre film finale today. (Star Wars, of course, was still two years away.) But the film’s dark atmosphere, in which Jonathan dispatches one enemy and then defeats another, begging to be killed, remains. . He slowly made his way to the goal and scored.
But did he win? As our hero took a fast victory lap, the crowd went wild, shouting his name over and over. He’s bigger than ever. But is he big enough to take down the company now? The movie ends there, so all we can do as viewers is choose our side in the battle as the credits roll.
Jonathan! Jonathan! Jonathan! ! !
Talk to Executive Editor Scott Collura on Twitter. @ScottColluraor listen to him Star Trek Podcast, Transporter Room 3. Or do both!
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