Leofwine_draca Complex psychological drama from director Lindsay Anderson, who would later complete his bizarre trilogy with O LUCKY MAN! and BRITANNIA HOSPITAL. Layered with subtext and impossible to fathom with just one viewing, this is the classic "rebellion" story, this time set in a posh private boy's school rife with hatred, class warfare, and struggles for power and leadership. Although the physical aspects of the storyline have dated somewhat in the turbulent years since this film first came out - with films like CLASS OF 1984 and others putting the violence in this one significantly into the shade - the artistry, visual style, complex characters, and detailed performances put it above the rest. The film always remains grounded in realism with no flights of fancy and the action is subtle and thus more true-to-life than many other movies using the school setting as a battleground.Physical aspects of the film are highly accomplished, from the photography to the music, even right down to the settings and costumes. Even the haircuts in this film are important as a symbol of rebellion and uprising. Due to budget constraints, many scenes are shot in black and white, giving the movie something of a pretentious tone but these were more of a result of Anderson running out of money than anything else. The film marks the debut of actor Malcolm McDowell, perfectly cast in the leading role of Mick Travis, a student who has had enough, and any fan of McDowell from later in his career will find him contributing his usual powerful performance at this early stage. Many strong actors fill out the supporting roles, with plenty of familiar faces from respected British actors willing to take part. Anderson achieves many powerful moments in his movie, especially the caning in the gym which stands out in my mind as one of the most shocking I've seen despite the lack of on-screen violence. IF.... is in many ways a brave and original movie and deserves to be seen at least once by those with an interest in British cinema.

Rob Starzec If.... is a strange film since it seems to be on the border between the mainstream and the art film. It is definitely experimental in terms of its use of color as well as not being necessarily clear about whether certain moments of the film are fantasy for the characters (though some moments simply MUST be).For those familiar with a Clockwork Orange, it is made clear by this film why Kubrick made the casting decision of Malcolm McDowell for the famous anti-hero Alexander DeLarge. Malcolm McDowell is the driving force behind the film If.... even though he does not appear in every scene. He is wonderful with his disregard for the rules made to oppress himself and his classmates, and he pulls off this rebellious attitude with a convincing smart mouth and a bit of repressed evil.The theme of rebellion is practically shouted within this movie. When McDowell's character enters the story, he wears a cloth around his face and his classmates jokingly refer to him as Guy Faux, who you might remember as V's main inspiration in V for Vendetta. He and his closest friends are also constantly being punished throughout the film for acting against such seemingly unnecessary rules. But this is the environment they are brought up in - it is a private school for the upper-class in which they live and the adults will shape them to become upper-class adults through the means of rough discipline which at some points can arguably be described as abuse.The room in which Mick Travis (McDowell) and his closest friends hang out is also filled with photos focusing on rebellion. These photos come from various revolutions or wars, so most of the photos depict heroes (if you want to call them that) fighting in military battles.A sub-theme of this film seems to be repressed homosexuality. Rumors of a certain boy amongst the group claim he is homosexual, and this boy is given a scene where he focuses his attention on an upper- class-man exercising his gymnastic abilities. There is very little room for reading this scene as anything other than longing for the older boy, and it is a true example of the male gaze in cinema. Also, this is revisited later when the two boys are in the same bed together, smiling at each other with their shirts off.What is strange about this film is that there are moments of black and white footage, and these scenes do not seem to have a pattern. A lot of them are moments that are clearly within the diegesis of the film while others represent fantasy sequences - these fantasy sequences seem to be when the focus is on Mick Travis. But as said before, there is no true pattern as normal events and strange ones alike take the aesthetic of being shot in black and white, so it is peculiar why the director shot any sequence in color at all.Finally, if you are very sensitive or get offended easily this is not the film for you - the ending which the film builds up to is extremely disturbing.3.0/4.0

Josephine Andersson I just watched this movie and i am sooo confused. I guess there's some old political British message hidden in it or something, but i don't get it all. I feel like you never got to know the characters. It was just a bunch of boys with the exact same haircut and clothes and i don't even remember if they ever mentioned any names. The only person i knew who he was was the lead character and the random coffee girl, thats all. I never really understood or cared about any of them or the story. I just thought it was about a bunch of sexually frustrated boys who liked to play innocent tricks on the teachers. That's what i thought until the final scene. The shooting scene. Then i just got confused and slightly shocked. I get that they hated school, but a massive shooting? Killing people? Why? Was the point of the movie that school can drive someone insane or what? Also the switching between black and white to colour was annoying as hell, even if i know it was because of money issues.

thinker1691 Noted director Lindsay Anderson took a short script called 'The Crusaders' and brought it to the silver screen as " If, . . . ." which has since become a monumental giant from the 1960's. Revolutionary in it's day, it has since morphed into a Avant Garde, stand-alone film which has since earned it's place among the fore-runners of our modern movies. So to has it premiere English movie star Malcolm McDowell who has established himself as a true Thespian. The movie is set in a Traditional military school with it's deeply rooted equally traditional standards which center on rules, adherence to discipline and harsh punishments. However, in among the returning students are several 'misfits' who will not accept the standard rules and regulations and decide to rebel. Everything the 'Whips' or upper classmates demand, such as short hair, obedience to orders, and strict adherence to morality, is fodder for the rebels. Thus the school is ripe for rebellion and the rebels do everything to disrupt the school year. The movie is in short order a setting between the old guard and the new order. The color film is filled with innovations such as splits to Black and white which add to the odd assortments of images which create a new way to viewing a story. New additions to the screen include Sean Bury as 'Jute', David Wood, Richard Warwick and Rupert Webster. All in all, this is a groundbreaking film and has stood the test of time. Thus; in it's own way it has become a Classic. Recommended to anyone who wants to view something completely different. ****