if.... (1969)

Wonderful character development!

Beautiful, moving film.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

If is one of those movies where the story doesn't matter, its the characters. Before clockwork orange, this is Micheal McDowell's film debut that skyrocketed his career. This movie has without a doubt, THE BEST actors for a movie with no story. Even the child actors are great. they are like young adults. If has a great settings, great music, (though there's little background) and amazing picture quality of its time. for a film that's made in 1968, it looks like it was made in 1985! Hell, maybe in the early 1990s if the hairstyles weren't dated. as this movie has great moments, there's two things i didn't like. One is the random naked lady that walked around a hallway. it was unnecessary and didn't need to be put. Another part was the black and white moments. there's scenes were the movies turns into a black and white film to set the mood. its cool in some scenes, but in other scenes like where the students are talking to each other, it appears again, and it was unnecessary. those are my only problems. If is definitely not made for everybody, buts its worth a watch if you like movies based on school

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.

The student are returning to a British boarding school. Mick (Malcolm McDowell) and his friends are the constantly chaffing at the Whips, the upper classmen in charge of the students. The adults defers to the Whips. The lower classmen or Scums are menial servants for the Whips. It culminates in Mick and his friends being canned by the Whips. Mick gives his friends some bullets. Together they go on surreal shooting sprees.I have never been in a boarding school and it's a little tough to get a feel for this movie. This seems more like 'Lord of the Flies' with rules and traditions. Then it throws in some surrealism. This seems very unreal but I can't tell what's reasonable and what's not. I was actually glad when the movie goes fully surreal in the last act. The last half is definitely shocking and takes a left turn somewhere.

For years I've heard how great this film is and I have always wanted to see it. I finally got the chance last night and I have to say it was not worth the wait. The utter pretentiousness of the whole thing drove me crazy, flipping from black & white to color between scenes, the sudden appearance of unexplained characters. The parson in a drawer in the headmasters office. The total absurdity of the ending. Not to mention the fact that it moves at a snails pace. There's like a three minute scene of Malcolm McDowall just shooting darts out of a gun. The first half of the film, while dull, just shows the day to day life of the boys in a British boarding school in a realistic, matter of fact fashion. The second half is this absurd fantasy of violence begetting more senseless violence. The change in tone is jarring. If...we don't change our disciplinary structures this could happen. It fails as allegory and as entertainment. I give it 2 stars for the sterling British cast who perform well above their material.