Commentary Rollerball is a Sci-Fi movie set in the near future concerning a violent new sport called rollerball, which is sort of a cross between roller derby and hockey. The players ride around an oval track very fast, some on motorcycles and some on roller skates, and try to score by hurling a metal ball into a hole. Rollerball is quite dangerous and several players get injured or killed in each game. The futurism portrayed in Rollerball is quite bleak. Although there is no more war or poverty, the world is governed by large corporations and there is no longer individual freedom. I find Rollerball quite fascinating, for both its futuristic Sci-Fi aspect and its story.
Plot Summary Jonathan E (James Caan) is the rollerball champion of the world in 2018. However, the corporations want him to quit because he's too good. They offer him incentives for quitting, but he refuses. They try to make him quit by making the game more dangerous. Eventually they make him play a game which only ends after everyone gets killed except for one player, but he manages to survive and become an inspiration to everyone.
Social Relevance I think Rollerball is very socially relevant. The movie makes a good case for upholding personal freedom at the cost of living a life of luxury. Although the world portrayed in Rollerball seems very attractive on the surface, when one digs in one notices several serious problems. Jonathan just wants to know why the corporations want him to quit, but he is unable to find out because the corporations now have a monopoly on public information. I think some aspects of modern society are becoming like Rollerball in some ways. We need to be aware of this and not jeopardize our individual freedoms.
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Title: Rollerball 
