History Film / Rollerball

** Much more pronounced in the original short story, were the goal of the game was murder. In the movie, murder was added into the later games to show how desperate the higher ups had become in their efforts to prevent Jonathan's victory.

* SocietyMarchesOn: The anti-individualist bent of the bad guys makes sense within the context of the mid-20th century American business world (or the Japanese business world then and now, but that's neither here nor there), which was associated with stifling conformity, but missed the mark as to what the actual hypercapitalist, neoliberal Reagan era and beyond turned out to be like. Modern capitalist culture encourages "individualism" (so long as it involves buying stuff to make you "stand out"), while discarding the petty concerns of one's own self in favor of helping others is a socialist ideal. Today, the concept of ''corporations'' trying to stamp out individualism in favor of conformity would baffle mainstream audiences, who associate this kind of dystopia with an [[Creator/GeorgeOrwell Orwellian]], all-powerful government instead.

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: The film is a protest against violence. However, director Norman Jewison said that, to his horror, a group was interested in financing a real-life version of the game, but the studio said no.

* FreezeFrameEnding: The last shot of [[spoiler: Jonathan, as he skates around the track, wearing a "Don't mess with me," expression. The camera does a staggered zoom as [[ToccataAndFugueInDMinor the intro music]] starts to play over the end credits.]]

'''Tropes''':

* SocietyMarchesOn: The anti-individualist bent of the bad guys makes sense within the context of the mid-20th century American business world (or the Japanese business world then and now, but that's neither here nor there), which was associated with stifling conformity, but missed the mark as to what the actual hypercapitalist, neoliberal Reagan era and beyond turned out to be like. Modern capitalist culture encourages "individualism" (so long as it involves buying stuff to make you "stand out"), while discarding the petty concerns of one's own self in favor of helping others is a socialist ideal. Today, the concept of ''corporations'' trying to stamp out individualism in favor of conformity would baffle mainstream audiences, who associate this kind of dystopia with an [[GeorgeOrwell Orwellian]], all-powerful government instead.

Rollerball is a 1975 Dystopia movie set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, when everything is controlled by {{Mega Corp}}s that keep the unwashed masses happy [[BreadAndCircuses the best way they know how]]: full contact bloodsport!

* {{Zeerust}}: Liquid-state computing and pistol-sized plasma blasters, yet their skaters never moved on from quads to blades?

* {{Zeerust}}: Liquid-state computing and pistol-sized plasma blasters, yet they're still using ''quad'' skates?

* ChekhovsGun / TemptingFate: Moonpie is contemptuous of the Japanese team's height, though he's warned that even short players can cream a big guy three-on-one. Three guesses how Moonpie gets clobbered in the Houston/Tokyo game.

* ChekhovsGun/TemptingFate: Moonpie is contemptuous of the Japanese team's height, though he's warned that even short players can cream a big guy three-on-one. Three guesses how Moonpie gets clobbered in the Houston/Tokyo game.

Rollerball is a 1975 Dystopia movie set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, when everything is controlled by {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s. The corporations keep the unwashed masses happy the best way they know how: full contact bloodsport!

* SocietyMarchesOn: The anti-individualist bent of the bad guys makes sense within the context of mid-20th century American conformity, but misses the mark as to what the actual hypercapitalist 21st century turned out like. Modern capitalist culture encourage "individualism" (so long as it involves buying stuff to make you "stand out") while discarding the petty concerns of one's own self is a socialist ideal.

* TocottaAndFugueInDMinor: The Tocotta section is memorably used as the opening and closing music for the original film.

* TreacherousAdvisor: Jonathan's executive friend turns out to be on the board that votes to have him killed.

The sport, [[TitleDrop Rollerball]], is like roller derby [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on speed.]] Players come and go (usually violently), as the sport is meant to suppress individuality. That changes when our hero, Jonathan E, becomes a Rollerball star and refuses to retire. The executives don't like that and start making changes to the game in an effort to kill Jonathan.

* WhatMightHaveBeen: The scene where drugged-up party-goers shoot up some magnificent trees with a futuristic rocket gun is disturbing enough. But just imagine how it would've been if they'd followed the original scripted idea, where they took turns shooting a ''dog''...

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rollerball2.jpg

* BloodSport
* CorruptCorporateExecutive
* {{Determinator}}
* {{Dystopia}}

* ThrowItIn: The cast made up their own rules for Rollerball, which greatly adds to the realism.
** Supposedly when filming was completed the stuntmen wanted to play a for-real game before the sets were struck, but the studio nixed the idea. Something about "liability" and "lawsuits the size of the Oort Cloud"...
*** Director Norman Jewison said that, to his horror, a group was interested in financing a real-life version of the game, but again the studio said no.

* TitleDrop

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness