If.... (1968)

Original title

if....

Directed by

Lindsay Anderson

Genre

drama film, teen film, coming-of-age film, LGBTQ-related film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

1h 51m

Rated

R

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 415 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Pupils at a strict British boarding school grow increasingly fed up with the authoritarian system. A group of them plan and carry out a violent uprising against the school and its leaders.

rebellioussurrealsatiricalunsettlingbleakdreamliketensevisually stylized

What happens

If.... (stylized as if....) is a 1968 British satirical surrealist psychological drama film produced and directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell in his film debut as the character Mick Travis, who appeared in two further Anderson films. Other actors include Richard Warwick, Christine Noonan, David Wood, and Robert Swann. A biting satire of English public school life, the film follows a group of pupils who stage a savage insurrection at a boys' boarding school. The film is notable for jumpstarting McDowell's and Anderson's careers as well as using black-and-white and colour switches throughout the film along with blending surreal dreamlike sequences and realistic elements. Director Stephen Frears worked as an assistant director to Anderson on this film. Upon release, If.... received critical acclaim, with praise for its powerful and accurate depiction of the British public school system. It continues to be considered one of the greatest British films of the 20th century for its portrayal of youthful rebellion. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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