Before Robocop there was…

Norman Jewison’s neglected dystopian classic

Sigh. My new problem child.

Director Norman Jewison made a high concept SF movie wrapped in a scifi spectale with Rollerball. It’s why the movie is remembered.

It’s quite accurate to William Harrison’s Esquire magazine short story, although Jewison pushes the political meaning quite a lot further in Rollerball’s symbolism.

Which is all about LIBERTY.

Rollerball illustrates what political philosopher Isaiah Berlin called the two kinds of liberty — the liberty of self mastery VS liberty from controls imposed by society.

While smacking his opponents around with his spiked gloves in the Rollerball rink, Jonathan E is also on a personal journey towards both forms of liberty, that both lead him to the brutal final match that climaxes the movie.

I think Rollerball was arguably the first SF movie to try this combination of violent spectacle with political high concept. Maybe it was a bit before its time. Paul Verhoeven made the combination his trademark with Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers.

Anyway, the detailed critique is locked up in what is one of my best but LEAST WATCHED video essays. It’s annoying when one of your kids underperforms its potential this badly. Grrr…

WATCH HERE —