Rollerball Quotes
The big thing in 2005 is a violent sport which can have some pretty serious consequences... like dying.
Jonathan E.: Does he... ah... Does he dream?
Japanese Doctor: No. There is no brain wave at all. No sort of consciousness. Just a deep coma. A vegetable. No dreams. Nothing.
Jonathan E.: But even, uh, a plant... uh, feels something.
Japanese Doctor: Who can say? Please.
[hands Jonathan the release form]
Jonathan E.: It, uh, senses life. I mean, uh, it turns towards the sun. It's alive, isn't it?
Japanese Doctor: [stressing] You must sign.
Jonathan E.: You, uh, you just leave him the way he is. Just leave him the way he is.
Japanese Doctor: Someone will have to sign. There is no other way.
Jonathan E.: Arrangements will be made.
Japanese Doctor: Please. There are hospital rules that have to be...
Jonathan E.: No, there aren't. There aren't any rules at all.
[turns and walks away]
Japanese Doctor: No. There is no brain wave at all. No sort of consciousness. Just a deep coma. A vegetable. No dreams. Nothing.
Jonathan E.: But even, uh, a plant... uh, feels something.
Japanese Doctor: Who can say? Please.
[hands Jonathan the release form]
Jonathan E.: It, uh, senses life. I mean, uh, it turns towards the sun. It's alive, isn't it?
Japanese Doctor: [stressing] You must sign.
Jonathan E.: You, uh, you just leave him the way he is. Just leave him the way he is.
Japanese Doctor: Someone will have to sign. There is no other way.
Jonathan E.: Arrangements will be made.
Japanese Doctor: Please. There are hospital rules that have to be...
Jonathan E.: No, there aren't. There aren't any rules at all.
[turns and walks away]
Jonathan E.: I've been thinking, Ella. Thinking a lot... and watching. It's like people had a choice a long time ago between having all them nice things or freedom. Of course, they chose comfort.
Ella: But comfort is freedom. It always has been. The whole history of civilization is a struggle against poverty and need.
Jonathan E.: No! No... that's not it. That's never been it! Them privileges just buy us off.
[deep sigh]
Jonathan E.: Look, they want me to quit, Ella.
Ella: Then quit.
Jonathan E.: Just like that, huh?
Ella: But you've got to do it now. You've got to before it's too late, whether you want to or not. Look, Johnny... the next game there won't be any substitutions allowed... and no time limit. You'll die, Johnny. Everybody will die.
Jonathan E.: No time limit. They tell you that?
Ella: Yes.
Jonathan E.: They tell you to convince me to quit?
Ella: Yes, but that isn't why I came here. You have to get out for your own sake. Oh, please Johnny, please.
Jonathan E.: They tell you to stay if... ah... I did quit?
[Ella is silent with a plea in her eyes]
Jonathan E.: You my big reward?
[Jonathan walks away from her as melodramatic violin music starts to play]
Ella: But comfort is freedom. It always has been. The whole history of civilization is a struggle against poverty and need.
Jonathan E.: No! No... that's not it. That's never been it! Them privileges just buy us off.
[deep sigh]
Jonathan E.: Look, they want me to quit, Ella.
Ella: Then quit.
Jonathan E.: Just like that, huh?
Ella: But you've got to do it now. You've got to before it's too late, whether you want to or not. Look, Johnny... the next game there won't be any substitutions allowed... and no time limit. You'll die, Johnny. Everybody will die.
Jonathan E.: No time limit. They tell you that?
Ella: Yes.
Jonathan E.: They tell you to convince me to quit?
Ella: Yes, but that isn't why I came here. You have to get out for your own sake. Oh, please Johnny, please.
Jonathan E.: They tell you to stay if... ah... I did quit?
[Ella is silent with a plea in her eyes]
Jonathan E.: You my big reward?
[Jonathan walks away from her as melodramatic violin music starts to play]
Bartholomew: [in a video conference with other corporate executives] In my opinion, we are confronted here with something of a situation. Otherwise, I would not have presumed to take up your time. Once again, it concerns the case of Jonathan E. We know we don't want anything extraordinary to happen to Jonathan. We've already agreeed on that. No accidents, nothing unnatural. The game was created to demonstrate the futility of individual effort. And the game must do its work. The Energy Corporation has done all it can, and if a champion defeats the meaning for which the game was designed, then he must lose. I hope you agree with my reasoning.
Alexis Petrovich: You see Yevgeny over there, so full of himself now. He used to work in the post office. I introduced him to the proper financing, and now he owns the mines. Yeah, making a fortune. Keeps the miners in line. Good business. You might wonder why I'm not in it myself. I don't need to own the mines, Jonathan. Do you know why? Because I own the man who owns the mines. All he has, I have. Same with the supermarkets, the TV station, locomotive plant. I don't need a political position, because I own the men who do.
Alexis Petrovich: What channel did you say you gave us in your territory?
Man: 109
Alexis Petrovich: 109. I see. 1-freaking-09. They do origami on Channel 6 of your silly hairball network! You ungrateful cretin!
[pulls out his gun / his men are holding him back]
Alexis Petrovich: I will kill you myself! I will disappear your whole family! Tell your people, you want to do business with us, we are on channels 1 through 5! Got it?
[to the cameraman]
Alexis Petrovich: You got that?
[laughs]
Alexis Petrovich: Goddamn mouse.
Man: 109
Alexis Petrovich: 109. I see. 1-freaking-09. They do origami on Channel 6 of your silly hairball network! You ungrateful cretin!
[pulls out his gun / his men are holding him back]
Alexis Petrovich: I will kill you myself! I will disappear your whole family! Tell your people, you want to do business with us, we are on channels 1 through 5! Got it?
[to the cameraman]
Alexis Petrovich: You got that?
[laughs]
Alexis Petrovich: Goddamn mouse.
Bartholomew: Sweet Dreams, Moonpie. That's a bad habit you've got there. You know what that habit will make you dream, Moonpie? You'll dream you're an executive. You'll have your hands on all the controls, and you will wear a gray suit, and you will make decisions. But you know what, Moonpie? You know what those executives dream about out there behind their desks? They dream they're great rollerballers. They dream they're Jonathan; they have muscles, they bash in faces.
Librarian: We are confused again here today. This is embarrassing. It's embarrassing to misplace things.
Jonathan E.: Misplaced some data?
Librarian: Hmmm.
[Looks at a computer punch card]
Librarian: The whole of the 13th century. Misplaced the computers, several conventional computers. We can't find them. We're always moving things around, getting organized, my assistants and I. This - this is Zero's fault - Zero, he's the world's file cabinet. Pity, poor old 13th century.
[pause]
Librarian: Well, come along now, you want to get started, don't you?
Jonathan E.: Yes, sir.
Librarian: [Takes Jonathan's coat and hat and puts them aside before they go to the room with Zero in it] This way! Now, we've lost those computers with all of the 13th century in them. Not much in the century, just Dante and a few corrupt Popes, but it's so distracting and annoying!
Jonathan E.: Misplaced some data?
Librarian: Hmmm.
[Looks at a computer punch card]
Librarian: The whole of the 13th century. Misplaced the computers, several conventional computers. We can't find them. We're always moving things around, getting organized, my assistants and I. This - this is Zero's fault - Zero, he's the world's file cabinet. Pity, poor old 13th century.
[pause]
Librarian: Well, come along now, you want to get started, don't you?
Jonathan E.: Yes, sir.
Librarian: [Takes Jonathan's coat and hat and puts them aside before they go to the room with Zero in it] This way! Now, we've lost those computers with all of the 13th century in them. Not much in the century, just Dante and a few corrupt Popes, but it's so distracting and annoying!
