Featured Audience Ratings

• Steven C

  
  Lindsay Anderson's "If...." is a sly, confident film about anarchy. Not necessarily enjoyable but certainly always interesting. Anderson's use of color theory works well. The scenes that are shot in color (majority of the film) show the boys rebelling against the… More
  Lindsay Anderson's "If...." is a sly, confident film about anarchy. Not necessarily enjoyable but certainly always interesting. Anderson's use of color theory works well. The scenes that are shot in color (majority of the film) show the boys rebelling against the predetermined set of rules (man made or natural) either externally or internally and the scenes shot in black and white are the boys complying to those same sets of rules (but usually in a more naturalistic sense, ex: cooking). Malcolm McDowell is excellent here in his first screen role. "If...." works better as a time capsule film because it's commentary has lost some of it's bite, but it's still very much worth your time and attention.

• Daniel M

  
  In selecting the greatest high school movie of all time, there are a number of different 'schools' from which to choose. We have the light-hearted nostalgia of The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off; the awkward indie spirit of Napoleon Dynamite and Grosse… More
  In selecting the greatest high school movie of all time, there are a number of different 'schools' from which to choose. We have the light-hearted nostalgia of The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off; the awkward indie spirit of Napoleon Dynamite and Grosse Point Blank; the adolescent gross-out of Porky's and American Pie; and the twisted one-upmanship of Carrie and Heathers. But while all of these entries are valid and have their own merits (even Porky's), they cannot hold a candle to the overall winner: a film which combines earthy black comedy with artistic flights of fantasy, and savage satire of the establishment with personal quandaries about sex, servitude, romance and rebellion. And, as a bonus, it is the film which launched the career of Malcolm McDowell. The film is If...., the director is Lindsay Anderson, and the result is one of the greatest films of the 1960s. If.... might seem an odd choice for the greatest ever high school film when we consider the kind of schooling on which it focuses. Set in the fictional College School deep in the conservative heartlands of 1960s England, it explores the kind of education and school system which the vast majority of us will never have to endure. It's the kind of school that would serve as an ideal backdrop for a story like Goodbye Mr. Chips or The Browning Version: while capable of producing fine drama, it doesn't smack of rebellion, let alone revolution. Fortunately, If.... has both qualities in spades, and it captures all the essential elements of adolescence that have been replicated in often putrid detail by its American progeny. It manages to be aware of the intelligence and sophistication of public school while overtly and sarcastically mocking everything it stands for. The very title is an act of thinly-veiled defiance: If... is a famous poem by the staunchly patriotic Rudyard Kipling, with the extra '.' in the ellipsis being an impudent revision of the way of life it encapsulates. The final scenes in particular give new meaning to the poem's penultimate line: "Yours is the earth, and everything that's in it." Like many films of the counter-cultural period, If.... depicts the relationship between the older and younger generations as being one of bitter opposition. The older generation, embodied by the masters, parents and prefects, are entrenched in the pre-war, imperial mindset with an emphasis on serving one's country and knowing one's place. The younger boys, including Mick Travis, feel no attachment to these values, regarding them as irrelevant, out-dated, stuffy and dull. But while there is this broad divide in outlooks between the generations, there are instances of crossover on both sides. Some of the teachers harbour relatively subversive thoughts and attempt to convey them, such as Graham Crowden's history teacher who cycles right into the classroom and then proceeds to outline his own peculiar take on key historical events. The headmaster is less successful in this, calling Travis into his office and repeating the phrase "I understand" to a point of desperation. Just as not all of the teachers are straightforwardly stuffy and backward, so not all the students in If.... are didactic flag-wavers. The students who rebel are not politically motivated like their counterparts in Zabriskie Point; in the words of the headmaster, "You're not rebels. That would be too easy." Travis may have posters of Lenin and Che Guevara on his wall, but his monologues are more concerned with the beauty of freedom, and the need to live a truly meaningful and joyous life even in the shadow of a possible nuclear holocaust. He rejects and flouts all forms of authority, despising the very essence of anything which inhibits him from free expression and the passionate act of being himself. One aspect of free expression on which If.... focuses is sexual liberation. In one of the film's more surreal segments, Travis and one of his friends steal a motorbike and drive some distance to a roadside café. Once there, they order coffee, Travis plays some classical music on the jukebox and, without any notice or questions asked, begins an affair with the waitress. In other section, a young boy spots Wallace training on the parallel bars, and they develop a homoerotic relationship. Anderson may not be encouraging free love in the now-clichéd manner of hippie movies, but he uses these scenes to reinforce his point about needing a society shaped by the people, rather than the other way around. If.... is Anderson's stand against the traditional values of England - everything from duty and propriety to the barmy traditions of private clubs. The film is part of his continued attempt to destroy the post-war malaise of British cinema, just as his political heroes had tried to destroy it through guns and social democracy. Throughout the film we see bastions of the community attempting to drill their students with values of 'honour', 'duty' and 'fighting the good fight', only for these ideas to crumble into absurdity and insignificance when applied. Two examples perfectly illustrate this point. The first comes at the three-quarter mark, where the chaplain gives a sermon on fighting for Christ, and how desertion or failure to fulfil duty is the greatest and most unforgivable of sins. But less than ten minutes later, he is cornered by Malcolm McDowell during the war games and becomes a quivering coward, terrified by the prospect of there being real bullets in Travis' gun. At the end of the film a visiting General gives a speech about how "the cynics" have nothing to replace the old values which they criticise. But what starts as convincing soon descends into the absurd: he speaks about discipline, only for his public to stumble into the aisles in blind panic while the stage beneath him goes up in flames. The film is built around the central performance of Malcolm McDowell, who is little short of magnificent. It's a very close rival for his work in A Clockwork Orange, which could be described as the more cynical cousin of this film. Stanley Kubrick and Lindsay Anderson may direct in totally different ways, but they both use McDowell superbly, utilising those huge, puppy-dog eyes, perfect hair, curled lips and upstart demeanour. And then there is the voice, which is note-perfect when delivering his poetic musings and savage put-downs to the uptight prefects. There is a further comparison with Kubrick in the idea of discipline and degradation being used by the establishment in a manner which ultimately destroys it. The brutal scene of Travis being caned repeatedly in the gym is like an artier, moodier version of the boot camp scenes in Full Metal Jacket. Travis may not take on the psychotic quality of Private Pile, but his experience of brutality makes him more determined than ever to fight against the system and reclaim his identity. The visuals of If.... are distinctive in their combination of colour and monochrome cinematography. When the film was first released, people read into the black-and-white sections as having some deeper artistic meaning, with a variety of theories being posited. In fact, these sections exist for the simple reason that Anderson ran out of money - or, as in the chapels scenes, it was quicker and easier to light for monochrome on a tight production schedule. Whichever is the more true, the film benefits from its unique look - it's a happy accident which reinforces the artistic and personal tone even if it doesn't bring much in the way of meaning. If.... remains as incendiary and as perfectly formed as it was over 40 years ago. Anderson's masterful yet understated direction gifts us with a series of properly believable performances, and his balanced of the natural and the surreal is effortless, particularly in the final shootout. While the revolutionary zeal and optimism surrounding it have long since faded, the film remains both a truthful product of its time and a work of timeless genius. It is an extraordinary piece of British cinema and is essential viewing.

• Lucas M

  
  A great satire counterculture of the British's traditional educational system. An Lindsay Anderson's masterpiece with the strange dark humor and surrealist of the Mick Travis's films. Perfect. Fresh.

• AJ V

  
  This movie is reminiscent of Zero de Conduit, a movie where the students stage a resistance to their teachers. This movie is more violent, though. Plus, it's presented in a way that makes the audience unsure as to weather the events are actually happening or if they're all… More
  This movie is reminiscent of Zero de Conduit, a movie where the students stage a resistance to their teachers. This movie is more violent, though. Plus, it's presented in a way that makes the audience unsure as to weather the events are actually happening or if they're all in the student's minds. Pretty good, but it could be better.

• Cassandra M

  
  Like so many other British films of the same time "if...." is a classic. The storyline, direction, location and acting are all stunning and as an allegory the film has as much to say today as it did when it was first released, onto an unsuspecting public, in the late… More
  Like so many other British films of the same time "if...." is a classic. The storyline, direction, location and acting are all stunning and as an allegory the film has as much to say today as it did when it was first released, onto an unsuspecting public, in the late 1960's. Much has been said by other reviewers about Lindsay Anderson, Malcolm McDowell and the film as a social satire, so there seems little point in going along those, well trodden, paths. I guess one aspect of the film, which always struck me as pivotal, but which hasn't been mentioned, is the inverse negative correlation between the story of Mick (Malcolm McDowell) and that of Jute (Sean Bury). While Mick starts out as a mild non-conformist who becomes increasingly disaffected with society, as represented by the school, Jute, who is initially an outsider, a new boy who doesn't know the rules, is gradually accepted and becomes an active member of that very same society. Mick's initial revolt is that of returning to school still sporting a moustache. But although he is flouting the rules by virtue of not being clean shaven, it is done on a purely personal level and he takes great pains to hide his facial hair from those in authority. Later his actions become, by stages, increasingly confrontational and open. Jute on the other hand is first shown as a small, almost lost, boy with large, frightened, puppy-dog eyes who doesn't even know that prefects are not addressed as "Sir", let alone the myriad of other complex rules that make up the society into which he has been thrust. Gradually we see his self assurance blossoming as he is accepted firstly by the other "scum" and later by the powers that be. The small socially isolated boy of the first scene is later seen playing an active role in a rugby match, sharing an impromptu meal with the other scum, confidently carrying a trophy in College Hall and finally taking an active part (as an altar boy) in the very celebration of traditional values that Mick has, by then, utterly rejected. A thought provoking film, which like that other celebrated allegory from the same era, "Lord of the Flies" (1963), has many levels and can be as deep as you wish it to be. Utterly Brilliant. Oh yeah and my favourite quote was from Mick when asked why he was sporting a moustache, his answer, "To hide my sins".

• jay n

  
  Stream of conciousness crap, an unpleasant way to waste a couple of hours.

• Anthony L

  
  Surreal, eccentric and thoroughly British. A real classic revolutionary film that still feels contemporary and fresh! Great cast and great direction, everyone should watch it at least once!

• Lady D

  
  It was clear to see Malcolm McDowell shine through against the rest of the cast here and I'm sure this film helped launch McDowell's career into some pretty controversial roles, however I found the whole film pretty dull and pretty to watch with quite a pointless plot. I… More
  It was clear to see Malcolm McDowell shine through against the rest of the cast here and I'm sure this film helped launch McDowell's career into some pretty controversial roles, however I found the whole film pretty dull and pretty to watch with quite a pointless plot. I have a feeling I might be in a minority here with my rating here.

• Stella D

  
  death to the oppressor. the original display of malcolm mcdowell's psychotic charm. the influence of jean vigo's brilliant anarchist zero de conduite is most evident in the last scene

• Sarah G

  
  <u>Director:</u>Lindsay Anderson <u>Released:</u> 1968 <u>Stars:</u> Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, and Rupert Webster <u>Genre:</u>Drama <u>Country:</u> UK <b>In an indictment of the British Boys School, we… More
  <u>Director:</u>Lindsay Anderson <u>Released:</u> 1968 <u>Stars:</u> Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, and Rupert Webster <u>Genre:</u>Drama <u>Country:</u> UK <b>In an indictment of the British Boys School, we follow Mick and his mostly younger friends through a series of indignities and occasionally abuse as any fond feelings toward these schools are destroyed. When Mick and his friends rebel, violently, the catch phrase, "which side would you be on" becomes quite stark</b> If.... is considered one of the great British films of the 1960s and one of the best that our country has prodcued. If.... says everything about Britain; from the class system to the ridiculous public school system that we still have in this country over 40 years on. If.... is a bizzare, yet enagaging film which I admired a lot. If.... was one of those films that I have been meaning to catch for ages. Yet I didn't realise just what an interesting film it was. Interesting,that relationships between the students and the house masters, one which is clearly lead by Travis(McDowell) and one which I'm sure is evident in many schools around the country. What is great about if... is that despite it essentially being about a public school, it draws upon aspects of all types of british schools. as you watch you begin to draw parrarells with your own education and reminise about many fellow students who have, like in the film-stood up to teachers. Comments indeed where you wish you could say something along those lines. <br> <i>The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy bear to Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the rest of your frigid life."</i> <br> What Anderson depicts in this film is just how ridiculous the public schoo system is. For instance we see the majority of the students somehow trying to make something out of their life, trying to be an individual. Mainly Travis and his three friends who have a rather revoultionary attitude to all things about sex, war and authority. Throughout the film the three gradually discuss parts of life and what they'd like to do, slowly drawing up to a climax. If... is an incredibly surreal account of teenage rebellion and one which will capitvate and make you think. Anderson switches from b/w to colour on may occasions. Again, adding to the surrealness of it all. If is imepcably directed with some interesting crane shots. If was McDowell's debut. From watching this I could see straight away why Kubrick picked him for the part of Alex in A Clockwork Orange. His mannerisms and charisma just shine in this film and you are really rooting for his character. Travis has some brilliant lines in this, made even more engaging by the delivery of McDowell. Also worth mentioning Arthur Lowe in a supporting role and the characters of Rowntree and the rest of the House masters. Overall, If... isa suurealist take on a British Tradiation and with a revolutionary take on it. What is brilliant is just how relevent is still feels and it hasn't aged a bit. Close to perfection for me. Here are some other quotable lines.. <i>One man can change the world with a bullet in the right place</i> Highly recomended. 9/10

• Tim S

  
  Great movie that goes completely nuts in the end...in a good way.

• Michael S

  
  So how do I give a star rating to a film like if....? It's a brilliant piece of work, combining fantasy and the sureal into a captivating story of a corrupt British boarding school and a rebel, Mick Travis (McDowell) who defies it's superiors at every turn. When he takes one… More
  So how do I give a star rating to a film like if....? It's a brilliant piece of work, combining fantasy and the sureal into a captivating story of a corrupt British boarding school and a rebel, Mick Travis (McDowell) who defies it's superiors at every turn. When he takes one beating too many, his defiance turns to rebellious violence...or does it? It's vastly entertaining, superbly acted, disturbingly and uncomfortably funny, and you really can't distinquish fantasy from real time (for the most part). This may annoy some, but I thought it made the experience all the more memorable. So, how do I give a star rating to a film like IF....?

• Ryan M

  
  9.4/10 I'm pretty sure that there's not one human being that hasn't - at least once- been overpowered by the intense, seductive force that is desire. It rests within all of us; and it's easy to succumb to it. Those things which we desire are often… More
  9.4/10 I'm pretty sure that there's not one human being that hasn't - at least once- been overpowered by the intense, seductive force that is desire. It rests within all of us; and it's easy to succumb to it. Those things which we desire are often distant, and we are told that they are rewarding, so maybe this is why we make it our personal goal to acquire them in some shape or form. Desire is a common theme in literature, film, and life alike. And if desire itself is a rather strong, recurring thematic element in film specifically, then Lindsay Anderson's "If...." is most certainly a masterpiece. I don't think that many can argue with that. It is a showcase for characters that we can relate to because they desire what we either have or, as the case may be, also desire as much as they do. The film's set-up is intelligent as far as its themes go. The story is centered on Mick (Malcolm McDowell, in his first big-screen role), a British student of an equally as British all-boys private school. Mick is one of the three boys that refuse to conform to what the others do. Everyone else is peaceful and they do not question the judgment of the "Whips"; at least not out loud. McDowell's character, Mick, is typically fearless; and would stare one of the Whips in the face, and then spit in it with ease. He's that kind of person, and so are his friends. The earlier scenes in the film are intended as build-up. There are many shots of the school itself, and many sequences involving the daily activities that occur in that very building; and I enjoyed this while it lasted. And then, the film got dark, and I got sad, but not too sad. The higher-authority juniors, who are called "The Whips" (as I mentioned them earlier, you deserve such an explanation), have had enough with Mick's behavior. They cite him and his friends as a "bad influence" on, what I presume to be, the younger students. I highly doubt that; and so does Mick and the gang. Mick is fed up. When the Whips finally loose it and punish him and his friends for their lack of conformity, he goes way beyond his typical boundaries. From this point on, I watched in both horror and fascination; with a little bit of sheer admiration put in there too. I'm not going to spoil what happens in the film's concluding chapter, but there is violence involved. The film would have lost its message if the violence was glorified, stylish, or as I probably predicted; more violent. Instead of any of the three, we are shown violence that is heartless and cruel. Nothing is glorified; and people don't die long and grisly deaths. They just fall down, the characters with the killing-machines enjoy it, and we watch as it all unfolds. In this way, the film is somewhat of an assault; but a damn good one at that. Malcolm McDowell is one of my favorite actors. He has, no doubt, been in his share of pure shit ("Caligula", etc.) but when he brings his A-game, well, he really packs a heck of a punch. Here, he plays Mick as yet another one of his complex, multi-dimensional social misfits. Mick knows not how to live in the world that he was born in, and he doesn't want to; this is why he rebels against not only his school, but society as a whole. I don't admire his actions, and why should I? However, I like misfit characters that rebel, and McDowell's performance had be hooked; and that hook never wanted to let go. Besides...I was happily there; entranced, intoxicating. Feeling the movie as it was meant to be felt. So there you have it. "If...." is a sad, intelligent, beautiful, and often darkly comic British drama masterpiece. When it finished, I stuck around for the end credits; not because I wanted to, and not because there was anything entertaining going on during them, but because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I was feeling. I had just witnessed men (and a woman) lose their humanity. I felt for them; and the film ends on a note as if there were to be a sequel that followed. I have done some Internet research, and apparently I am right in assuming this; Mick's exploits created a trilogy. Maybe I will watch them to see if they can hold a candle to this one. I doubt they can. Few films are created with enough raw ferocity and a sense of thematic rebellion. But that's why "If...." is so darned special. And to seal the deal, "If...." also features grade-A surrealism. I wasn't expecting this, but Lindsay Anderson must be a great enough mind to produce such simple but effective imagery. There are black-and-white shots; some of which I fear might have been the result of an accident with the filming. However, some accidents can work for our benefit. And if the film itself is an accident, then it's one of the best that ever happened to a filmmaker. I adored this movie.

• Hal M

  
  As a mere high schooler I journeyed into Seattle to watch If... at the only theatre (probably in the state) that screened it. Then re-viewed it days ago (and many years later), on DVD. I'm too horrified both times by its culmination to possibly give it a good critical mark.… More
  As a mere high schooler I journeyed into Seattle to watch If... at the only theatre (probably in the state) that screened it. Then re-viewed it days ago (and many years later), on DVD. I'm too horrified both times by its culmination to possibly give it a good critical mark. This is Columbine before Columbine. There is no sufficient psychological explanation nor moral justification for the bizarre, hyper-violence of the ending. Nor is there anywhere near enough indication this mass slaughter is merely a fantasy. Whose fantasy would that be, incidentally? There isn't that strongly a subjective P.O.V. I am not a Lindsay hater, FYI. I admire O Lucky Man...

• Chris B

  
  A film whose themes and even lead are closely related to Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, the film varies underneath these surfaced level similarities. If.... makes for a film with many layers and is truly deserving of its reputation as one of British counterculture's greatest… More
  A film whose themes and even lead are closely related to Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, the film varies underneath these surfaced level similarities. If.... makes for a film with many layers and is truly deserving of its reputation as one of British counterculture's greatest achievements in film. Not as brutal or blunt as A Clockwork Orange the film is still no cake walk and you must be prepared accordingly. If you are, you will be in for quite a treat!

• Mike T

  
  A peculiar, somewhat overwhelming mixture of surrealism, allegory and sharp-edged satire, Lindsay Anderson's film works in its depiction of hierarchy and youthful anarchy. That being said, it's a muddled combination of ideas and at times the audience is left behind… More
  A peculiar, somewhat overwhelming mixture of surrealism, allegory and sharp-edged satire, Lindsay Anderson's film works in its depiction of hierarchy and youthful anarchy. That being said, it's a muddled combination of ideas and at times the audience is left behind altogether. Due to impending budget constraints halfway through filming, random scenes are shot in black and white. Since the contribution is stylistically empty, it becomes distracting and even frustrating. Despite its flaws, it's a compelling and highly intelligent piece of work featuring an assured first performance from Malcolm McDowell. It strikes me as a movie that needs to be seen more than once.

• Quinto W

  
  I loved, loved, loved this movie. Every single second of it. It was everything I thought it was going to be but so different at the same time, one of the coolest films ever. I really liked it and have to subject myself to many viewings more because there is so much you don't see… More
  I loved, loved, loved this movie. Every single second of it. It was everything I thought it was going to be but so different at the same time, one of the coolest films ever. I really liked it and have to subject myself to many viewings more because there is so much you don't see with only one glance, there's so much depth and symbolisms all over.

• matt s

  
  Some cool shots. The photography is wonderful, but the ending is a mixed bag. I was just underwhelmed by the whole thing.

• MJS M

  
  I've always hated the "private boarding school" genre of film and literature. Books like A Separate Peace and movies like The Dead Poets Society all kind of annoy me for some reason I can never quite place, something about the setting just makes me want to break stuff.… More
  I've always hated the "private boarding school" genre of film and literature. Books like A Separate Peace and movies like The Dead Poets Society all kind of annoy me for some reason I can never quite place, something about the setting just makes me want to break stuff. Anyway, this 1968 counterculture film sounded like something of a new take on the genre. The film is filled with strange surrealism and shifts between color and black and white with no rhyme or reason. I got sort of the basic rebellious undertones of the film, but otherwise I found it rather impenetrable. Maybe I need to se it a few more times.

• Emily B

  
  Classic. A stunning film which to this day is still powerful. Malcolm McDowell gives a great performance in what was his first major role. Love the jumps from colour to black and white, even if it was down to budget!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings