Rollerball is a 1975 science fiction film that takes place in a post-"Corporate Wars" dystopia. Norman Jewison is the director and James Caan stars. Also starring are John Houseman, Ralph Richardson and John Beck (who has a Star Trek connection). Our DVD has few special features but does have a commentary by Jewison. The sexism in this movie is mind-bending. Women serve only as ornaments and tools. Well, I take that back as there is one corporate executive shown who is a woman.
trailer:
Moria notes that this film "was one of the few A-budget and few successful science-fiction films made prior to the big 1977 sf boom." The New York Times calls it "elaborate and very silly". Salon.com has a review. Variety praises the acting: "The performances of the principals are uniformly tops."
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The movie was just a little too slow & preachy for my tastes. That's not to say that it didn't have more then a few valid points; It just went about expressing those points in the typical "Billy, Don't be a hero" 1970's way you'd expect films from that era.
ReplyDeleteThe futuristic sexism was rather bold, especially given the woman's lib movement of the 70's. How many women from the early-mid 70's would realize that women would devolve themselves by the early 2000's? Just look at what it takes to get the blogs to notice you nowadays - "Leaked" sex videos, topless photos, saucy tales of dating multiple partners, gaudy behavior...
Still, the movie takes far too long to get to the point. I haven't seen the remake &, judging by how the remake was received, I won't be seeking it out anytime soon.
Yes, it was slow, wasn't it. Earlier today somebody asked me how I liked it, and I called it a period piece. Definitely a product of its time.
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