I’m of two complete minds on Rollerball. I love Rollerball because it is sci-fi with big themes. And the some of the greatest sets, furniture, props and font (!) of all time. And John Houseman saying “Jonathan Eeeeeeeeee!” It is big and operatic and gutsy and it cribs from “Rules of the Game.” It is also ridiculous, impossible to glean any real meaning from and, yes, boring. The Rollerball game (which I can never make any sense of) just never ends! It’s completely impossible to watch without your eyes glazing over. It’s also impossible to like James Caan’s character (the aforementioned Jonathan Eeeeeeeee) because he is a ruthless, shameless killer. One could argue that the movie is brilliant because Caan knows he’s supposed to be good, but lives in a society where killing isn’t considered wrong and has no moral issues with this. The only thing that bugs him – that is built deep within him – is that he doesn’t like being told what to do, dammit! I dunno, in many real ways Rollerball rules. And yet it is also terrible. Go figure. Here’s Kerry’s review.
