Rollerball (1975) - Intro (Bach - Toccata) - Full HD

[@robgraham5697]

Norman Jewison, who directed this movie, pass away today at 97. RIP.

[@ecbst6]

RIP Jonathan E. You will be missed.

[@sparkypeter]

Went to see the film way back in '75 and was blown away by this intro played over the cinema sound system whilst sitting in the dark, fond memories :)

[@dannythomas417]

Glad not even the fire was CGI.

[@grantcurry4839]

This "intro", as you call it, is the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach. Only a very small section of it was used in this film. I think you should listen to the ENTIRE piece.

[@sparkypeter]

@@grantcurry4839 Oh I did realise that it is only a small (but iconic ) part of a longer work and have listened to it all 👍

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

@@grantcurry4839 Has this got all of it? kzbin.info/www/bejne/anXTZWdrbZqpsKM .

[@raymondgriffiths9766]

I saw it I the Westend Big James Caan fan me I was 14/15 At the time He did a lot.of 🎥 Movies that Year and 76 Freebie and the bean The the gambler Killer elite But rollerball was the best 👌 Best one all these Roles were Post godfather as Well

[@Flounder10-r3c]

A very underrated movie that speaks of our time. Even has AI.

[@petercarey6883]

Little did I think while watching this movie in 1975 that it was giving us a glimpse of where we are today, 45 years later.

[@grandadmiralthrawn1627]

The film even takes place in 2018. Real crazy stuff

[@michaelbauers8800]

I once read, that someone wanted to make a Rollerball game based on the movie. And the movie's creator, was trying to make a statement about that violent sports sucked. He was kind of pissed off. Of course a lot of people missed the point. Just like they did with Canadian Bacon. And that Starship Troopers movie. Subtlety is perhaps lost on a significant number of movie viewers? ;)

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

@@michaelbauers8800 What they have created is often lost on movie makers trying to be to clever. .

[@bluerisk]

The NFL is still a national think, but they started to play outside of the US. But the 1% is truly calling the shots now. We are only allowed to replace the conductor every four years, but not the direction of the train.

[@andrewphippsphillips1455]

Probably quite relevant today, some 50yrs on from when Norman produced this & applies a little to the English Premier league or even the wider European competition. 2024 & the Madrid club have clinched their 15TH European Champions title, their owner Florentine Perez's idea of tempting the other "major"(wealthy) clubs to join Real hasn't truly gone away & refereeing is becoming a little suspicious when those "major" clubs (all corporate owned) get the favourable treatment. It's those same "corporation" teams consistently winning everything & the stars of other clubs are only interested in joining the "majors" instead of staying at a club to help establish it. All sport's becoming a bit dominated but it's becoming as dystopian as the grim outlook portrayed here in Rollerball....

[@culcune]

This is probably one of the more compelling beginnings of any movie from any era! Just powerful and sends shivers down my spine!

[@johnsunde4339]

And was my introduction to Bach's genius!?!

[@zoebiboei216]

Phenomenal

[@malcolmbalsillie3908]

Saw this at the cinema in 1975 and it was massive at the time. The film advertising slogan read: 'In the future their will be no wars - just Rollerball'

[@VenusHeadTrap2]

This is hands on film making, REAL film making.

[@stephenpowell5912]

Send a shiver down my spine listening to Bach's Masterpiece used in this 1975 Classic ,R I P James Caan 1940-2022.😢Jonathan ,Jonathan ,Jonathan 🥹

[@nrqed]

One of the best use of classical music in a sci-fi film. Together with 2001, Clockwork Orange and Soylent Green.

[@SmartCookie2022]

Also used for the original Tales From the Crypt movie in 1972 three years before Rollerball.

[@nrqed]

@@SmartCookie2022 Interesting, I did not know that!

[@AlephNeil]

Great examples, but there are plenty of others. Off the top of my head: Apocalypse Now, Death in Venice, Melancholia, The Man Who Wasn't There, Excalibur, Solaris (the Tarkovsky version).

[@NormAppleton]

All great movies about humanity

[@celimbenyahia5806]

And also Melancolia

[@florianlaur5300]

On Sunday, the organist in the Protestant church in my town played this. I immediately recognized it and thought of Rollerball. The acoustics in the church were amazing. Hadn't it been so cold (and the church closed), I would have applauded him/her.

[@josephbland3904]

I’d of still applauded anyway.. Sounded a great experience..

[@jetenza2434]

Futuristic version of Gladiator. Opening with J.S.Bach Toccata in D minor is just perfect.

[@donaldpaluga]

JONATHAN! JONATHAN! JONATHAN! JONATHAN! #RIPJamesCaan

[@duiliogomes]

R.I.P. James Caan.

[@FayBenson]

One of the best science fiction movies. And what great actors and music. I discovered James Caan in this movie. Since then I'm a fan. As for Norman Jewison, what a director.

[@michaelbauers8800]

Caan could have been played by a robot for all the emotion he showed. He was supposed to have been filled with angst I thought over loss of wife to corporate transfer. On the other hand, maybe his lack of emotion was on purpose. I will probably never know.

[@NormAppleton]

It's the best science fiction. It's about money.

[@etiennesickleton447]

@@michaelbauers8800 The population in the Rollerball world are seemingly sedated, remember? They're constantly popping pills of narcotic origin throughout the film. Not to mention that they've been mentally abused their entire lives, and they don't exactly know how to express emotions that they're told not to have.

[@Dad-Gad]

I was obsessed by this and The Warriors when I was younger and would watch then everyday

[@Darenrizla]

With you on that one plus The Wanderers

[@robertlehnert4148]

Rest in peace, James Cann: we lost you today, 7/6/2022

[@peterheiser2247]

I worked in a Fox theater when this came out. The projectionist would play it before we would open for the night. It was so incredibly with the big old speakers.

[@onlyme219]

The music is a masterpiece, and choosing to use it is also

[@peterroberts7684]

Epic,Magnifique and Glorious..One of my earliest introduction to classical music, it's the perfect score,and was in awe when I first heard this Bach classic, Great film too ,but the beginning of this music,which symbolises human cultural achievement, in stark contrast to the Brutality of the film..

[@georgeleejr1488]

I also went to see this with my parents many years ago and said that's what I want to do; and what do you know what happened?? I did just that and now I've been playing the organ for almost half a century and playing one of many of Bach's Organ pieces today!! Gives me goose bumps every time I play it!! One of the most beloved composers Ever!!!

[@michaelhurley6072]

For those who saw Rollerball in the theater in 1975… how loud was this Bach music in this intro? Tell me it rumbled loud with the bass notes and you felt it. Unfortunately, I only was three years old when it was released. I love this film.

[@NormAppleton]

The University theatre in Toronto, was bone shaking loud. Apocalypse Now was epic there too.

[@NormAppleton]

Yeah BACH was really loud.

[@only257]

Love this movie 😊

[@jamesmason9925]

I do not know of any other film that has such a captivating, compelling and thoroughly enthralling beginning .. I could not look away throught the film, perhaps a direct link into my psyche? ... and as for the music, it all fits together ... for me unbelieveably brilliant!

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

The opening of Farenheit 451, the original.

[@johnholloway5306]

The greates puece of music and version ever what an extreme skill set

[@bs3739]

The greatest piece of music ever written...boss film too!!

[@battlestarmarc]

Cool film.

[@zoebiboei216]

A blady masterpiece!

[@ericsantana1184]

RIP James Caan. A True Legend and True Actor to all of us. I promise to dedicate you to my book for DC Comics. Because you are actually perfect for a role as the Sportsmaster and the Hockey Punks.

[@pbennett13]

this never left me as a child.. and ironically, the themes of the movie are nearly prophetic… corporations essentially run goverments, and we have a drug for everything… bought the soundtrack some time back and the theme is a bit slower than in the movie… which I knew because I’ve watched the opening so many times, this version of the toccata is THE definitive version in my mind

[@denniscoffey1247]

The scoreboard reads: HOU MAD; Very appropriate

[@alexanderteuman7273]

Johann Sebastian Bach, danke nochmal.

[@discodroidz429]

'I love this game Moonpie'.

[@amitabhachaudhuri8103]

It was such a bloody futuristic corporate game I was addicted to it I'm almost 70 now.

[@JOHNMcVICAR-jh5bp]

JAMES CANN WAS IN TOP FORM DON'T MAKE GREAT FILMS LIKE THIS ANY MORE SADLY R.I.P. J.C YOU WERE GOOD 🎬

[@terrancebigham6765]

Bach’s Toccata and Fugue was visualized in Disney’s “Fantasia” and used as the title theme in Mamoulian’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”.

[@chrisperrien7055]

The faster speed of this "Tocatta" makes it more chaotically menacing, like the movie itself when it goes back to regular speed.

[@bradleyjjohnson]

Epic opening. Of all the classical composers, the only one who sounds futuristic - is Bach. He was eons ahead of his time, and he is timeless. Great way to start a movie.

[@johnevans388]

In the original story by WIlliam Harrison, which I read in paperback more years ago than I like to think about, the ball wasn't round, it was like a rugby or American football and it was called 'Roller Ball Murder' - whatever, it is still one of the most significant sci-fi movies of that era.

[@albebelt3013]

The man against the system...

[@DoIGetTube]

William Harrison first predicted, and Alexander Scourby quoted him, "In the not too distant future, wars will no longer exist. But there WILL be... ...Rollerball."

[@simonharvey2321]

R.I.P. James Cann

[@NormAppleton]

Caan

[@davidmonroylozano270]

Lo nuevo lo vivimos, pero el pasado es inolvidable

[@patmackie3499]

Exquisite....1luv 😎

[@The-General36]

In the not too distant future wars will not exist but there will already be Rollerball ☝️

[@robertwilson214]

James Caan just exudes suppressed violence.

[@rekinlas]

Simon Preston has a few versions of Toccata in D-minor on YT. Interesting that he played this version with much more drama and slower tempo. No staccato at 0:40. It's about 20 seconds longer than his version here kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGStio2HbJWKoLc After seeing the previews at our neighborhood cinema, my best friend and I couldn't wait for it to come out (we were both 12). But when it was released, my buddy showed me the full page ad in the paper: Rated R. We were so bummed. I pestered my dad daily until he finally agreed to take us to this movie with the "forbidden R" rating. For us kids, it must have some really terrible stuff! I remember sitting there in the theater next to my buddy shaking with both excitement and fear as this soundtrack blasted.

[@haraldludwig8823]

Das ist Musik !!

[@davewarrender2056]

Another classic opening title sequence is the docking scene at the start of 2001, ballet in space to blue Danube waltz

[@michaelbauers8800]

Almost a life changing piece of music. This is one of those pieces of classical music, that made me interested in classical music. Clockwork Orange and Amadeus were also important influences in my love of lot of classical music. As was Loony Tunes, to be honest. Otherwise, I would be almost a 100% rock music lover. Thankfully, my tastes are a bit wider than rock :)

[@andrewfox4789]

Michael, I agree with you on the above, can I also add the sound track of Disneys "The Jungle Book" to the list of bare musical necessities of life?

[@michaelbauers8800]

@@andrewfox4789 Hah, reminds me of when I was in Disney World with my girlfriend and we watched some Jungle Book show. Was quite entertaining.

[@carlosrios8837]

A world without governments, a world were corporate CEOs rule the world in feudalistic fashion.

[@paulomontini2598]

you, Sir, made the most accurate comment in this section

[@titusmccarthy]

It foresaw what would happen today

[@zoebiboei216]

Go figure, rite! 🎯

[@luizalbertorodrigues4560]

Perfect

[@josephbland3904]

At the end everyone in the Arena chanting… Jonathon… Jonathon.. Jonathon… JONATHON…. Fantastic movie score & brilliant film…

[@jorgeelbochamoyano6383]

Excelente

[@brunoterrosa7465]

Jorge Moyano Grande bocha! Jajaja

[@jorgeelbochamoyano6383]

Bruno Terrosa grande vos groso!!!! 🤘

[@robertlehnert4148]

Set in 2018, we are FAR closer to Rollerball than were ever could be to The Handmaid's Tale. Throw in Fahrenheit 451.....

[@Luckiestof13]

Highly doubt it. This isn't close to happening at all. You have more probability with other syfy movies and comparing society. I don't see a sport like this taking off. Roller Derby is barely a thing. I could see The Running Man happening before this.

[@robertlehnert4148]

@@Luckiestof13 details, details. We are talking about the corporate state destroying individuality as part of the surpression of all dissent, liberty exchanged for security and distraction

[@jondstewart]

I kind of wished we had turned out this way to a degree. No war and total peace, but with a cost. Individualsism and happy pills are making people without ambition, as a result, bored and frustrated. So they take out their frustrations on this game. As for the visuals of this film, a poor choice. Houston, Texas in 2018 looks like a German city in the 1970’s (😉) and the luxury party they had was supposedly rural Texas, but shot on the backlot of Pinewood Studios.

[@guillermocolocho2417]

@@jondstewart The trivia on the dvd I have say that the scenes were filmed in Munich, Germany for the games and Pinewood Studios in England

[@SportyMabamba]

@@Luckiestof13 There are Women’s and Men’s Roller Derby World Cups with teams from every continent, plus national and local league tables in many countries. Roller Derby is still very much a thing!

[@ALIASZARDOZ]

Ahhhhhh ROLLERBALL (1975) !!! Un des meilleurs films de Science Fiction du milieu des années 70. Un Chef d'œuvre pour moi. Très critiqué à l'époque de sa sortie mais il vaut largement mieux que certains soit-disant Chef d'œuvre des années 2010 à ce jour (Août 2024) qui n'arrivent pas à la cheville de ce film. Que voulez-vous, la population de 2024 s'est bien dégradée que celle des années 70 où les gens savaient lire, écrire, calculer, réfléchir... Nous sommes devenus une planète de Gnous... Tous des Gnous... Rien que des Gnous... Abyssal !!!

[@jgjperlman]

I believe they actually played a version of this in New York in the 70s

[@cntygrlby2006]

Roller derby.......Minus the bikes......

[@robkrasinski6217]

I wonder how this piece got to be associated with horror. A now gone haunted attraction, Castle Dracula in Wildwood, NJ played this outside. It had a dungeon boat ride (which dated back to 1919) and a walk through castle which opened 1977. It burned down Jan 16, 2002 due to criminal mischief by two minor males, they broke in and lit torches and ran out when it caught on fire. They were arrested by a nearby officer but they got no jail time. A sad end to one of the last 70's built haunted attractions in NJ. But, a facebook page run by a former employee, a site called Dark in the Park, and Tunnel of Laffs have pictures of it inside and out, and there are videos going through the castle and dungeon in 1991 on youtube. I submitted sounds from tape recordings I made in Aug 1995 and June 1996 to Dark in the Park.

[@thoughtsurferzone5012]

This is when dystopias were creepy and cool.

[@temmiescrazystuff]

blue lobsta

[@m1g0t0]

I love this because the organ seems to be project a religious feel to the film's theme of one who stands against society

[@michaelpepper2206]

E. Power Biggs still has performed the best version of this masterpiece.

[@NormAppleton]

Karl Richter

[@londonwerewolves]

1:48 A sport so brutal they make a 50-year old Controller cllmb a 10-foot vertical ladder with no safety precautions.

[@NormAppleton]

Did you watch the rest of the movie?

[@londonwerewolves]

With your sister's mouth around my cock. Any other questions that are equally stupid & none of your business?

[@muchacho0821]

Obviously not​@@NormAppleton

[@LamBosco]

Why is it the same music as the Hong Kong Film "God of Gamblers"

[@brunoterrosa7465]

Because it's a piece of classical music, so it must've been used for many other movies too.

[@AlexandreNamaha]

Tem alguém em 2023 que acha que esse esporte poderia realmente existir?

[@juanpedrorobotop4261]

Amigo Jonathan :Por aqui todo se esta convirtiendo en un disparatado escaparate.😩

[@CaptainCanuck63]

Two people in the spectator stands that are shown in this clip, that you REALLY have to keep a sharp eye out for: The android "Bishop" from "Alien" (Lance Henriksen) standing up back there, in a uniform; The Imperial officer from "Star Wars - A New Hope" who was choked out by Darth Vader because he showed a "lack of faith", and who was taking a seat next to the CEO played by John Houseman. Side-note: Norman Jewison lives 20 minutes from me. Still haven't worked up the nutsack to drop by and say "Hey!".

[@NormAppleton]

He's 96, you better hurry.

[@StopFear]

I feel like while Rollerball is a decent film, its still a cheap tactic to try to up it by utilizing grandiose widely appreciated classical music.

[@tanglecash127]

God’s wrath shall come suddenly on those who are asleep.

[@amitabhachaudhuri8103]

It was such a bloody futuristic corporate game I was addicted to it I'm almost 70 now.