Rollerball is a thoughtful dystopian vision directed by Norman Jewison.
The film explores freewill in humanity. At the centre of its excellence is the character of Jonathan E and James Caan's performance. Jonathan does not start a rally, make passionate public speeches or even show much outward emotion. He is simply faced with an injustice and it's like an itch he can't scratch. It is just not in his nature to accept it, he can't.
Jonathan is part of a brutal game used to teach society a lesson and yet it is his skill in the game that creates his identity, not the rewards or luxuries.
The action and game scenes themselves are surprisingly coherent and well paced. While lacking sophisticated special effects, the escalating violence is far more shocking than the cartoon action of modern CGI films. The action serves to illustrate the themes, not to titillate or excite.
The directio…