In the summer of ’75, with the release of ‘Rollerball’, cinema audiences were offered a unique take on the science fiction ‘dystopian future’ subgenre that had already proved popular throughout the first half of the decade with films such as ‘A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Soylent Green’ and ‘Westworld’. Director Norman Jewison, having had consecutive box office hits with the musicals ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, took a complete change of direction after reading the short story ‘Roller Ball Murder’ published in ‘Esquire’ magazine in September 1973.

Jewison optioned the film rights and contacted its author William Harrison. One telephone call later and the pair had agreed to Harrison writing the screenplay.

Set in an unspecified time in the near future (although the films promotional material stated 2018) in a world where countries no longer exist and governments have been replaced by a handful of giant global corporations, war, famine and poverty have been eradicated. To quell unrest and maintain order, the violent sport of Rollerball is televised to billions worldwide.

The first major challenge for the filmmakers was the game itself. In order to be successfully transferred to the screen, the game as described in Harrison’s story required greater clarity. This effectively meant inventing a new sport with its own format and set of rules, which would then be further developed once filming began. In short, two teams of ten players consisting of seven skaters and three motorcyclists battle to gain possession of a steel ball which is fired at high velocity around a track and hurl it into the opponents goal.

The next test was designing a suitable venue. In keeping with the gladiatorial nature of the game, production designer John Box took inspiration from the Roman colosseums and the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle basketball stadium, used for the 1972 Munich Olympics, was ideal to be transformed into a Rollerball arena. Munichs iconic BMW building also doubled as the imposing ‘Energy Corporation HQ’.

James Caan plays Huston star player and veteran of 10 years, Jonathan E. In a society that actively discourages individual achievement, Jonathan has reached a level of popularity unacceptable to the corporation. “Corporate society takes care of everything”, Energy Corporation Chairman, Mr Bartholomew (John Houseman) tells him, offering a generous severance package and the opportunity to announce his retirement on a ‘Multivision’ TV special. Jonathan’s reluctance to stand down though leads to the use of more malevolent methods to have him eliminated. Rules are changed to make the game even more dangerous, culminating in a brutal championship final against New York with no penalties, no substitutions and no time limit. Caan gives a fine understated performance and was cast partly on the strength of the athletic prowess he showed playing a football quarterback in the TV movie ‘Brian’s Song’ a few years earlier. Houseman too is impressive as the icily sinister Mr Bartholomew.

The game sequences are superbly executed and for the first time ever on a major motion picture, the stuntmen received a film credit.

Many years later, Jewison said of his film “I thought that violence for the entertainment of the masses was an obscene idea. That’s what I saw coming and that’s why I made the film”. Harrison commented “When I look at the film now, I feel like a prophet”.

In 2019, when multinational corporations hold ever increasing control over our lives, the prescience of ‘Rollerball’ is more relevant than ever.

A seminal piece of 1970’s science fiction cinema.