Abused students at a British private school take matters into their own hands.
1968 was a time of social upheaval not just in the United States, but in Europe as well; a general strike and various student uprisings brought France to a standstill. In England, the current cinematic movement consisted of raw documentaries and "kitchen-sink" dramas, which focused specifically on the lives of working-class citizens. From this background came director Lindsay Anderson (also a former film critic), who along with screenwriter David Sherwin crafted a dark satire of British society.
In addition to its acutely-observed portrait of youth in the educational system, If.... also goes on surreal flights of fancy, a stylistic choice which would separate Anderson from his contemporaries, and allow his film to be taken allegorically.
The film features the screen debut of actor Malcolm McDowell in the lead role of Mick Travis, a character him and Anderson would revisit again in two loose sequels, O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982). A few years after If...., McDowell appeared in his most famous role as Alex in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange.
Cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek (a key figure of the Czech New Wave) shot the film, and would go onto a successful Hollywood career with credits including Amadeus, Ragtime, Hair, and A League of Their Own.
If.... won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969, and is not only considered to be a key British film of the period, but can be said to have influenced works as diverse as Pink Floyd's The Wall and Fight Club.
Running time is approx. 110 minutes.
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