I have just watched this film for the first time and I thought it was excellent. The plot of If... was it was set in a English Public School where senior students ruled and the younger students had endure a harsh regime. The teachers were not much better giving out harsh punishments including cold showers and caning. Malcolm McDowell plays Mick Travis who along with his friends refuse to conform to the system. The films shows how they resist and how the teachers and follow students are unable to deal with them. The films ends with Travis and his friends taking violence action against the school.
The film was influenced the counter-culture movement of the 60s. It also would have been influenced by youth movements such as the Mods and Rockers. Politically the film was also Left-Wing, showing photos of Marxist leaders such as Mao, Lenin and Che Guenna and Travis practising shooting on photos of the Queen and Politicians. Travis and his friends are shown to be intellectual, reading and coming up with statements such as 'Revolution is the only pure act.' If... also coinsided with the Paris riots and has been mistaken for being influenced by the events.
The film also combines a grim and stark view of the Public School system which was a target of the film, and shows things that possibly really did happen, but it also has surreal dream sequences. I feel the two together worked very well. If... also reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, which also started Malcolm McDowell. This was because of the idea of show a dystopia society (on a smaller scale) and the idea of youth running wild and uncontrolled. I would say if you liked A Clockwork Orange then you would like If...
The film was influenced the counter-culture movement of the 60s. It also would have been influenced by youth movements such as the Mods and Rockers. Politically the film was also Left-Wing, showing photos of Marxist leaders such as Mao, Lenin and Che Guenna and Travis practising shooting on photos of the Queen and Politicians. Travis and his friends are shown to be intellectual, reading and coming up with statements such as 'Revolution is the only pure act.' If... also coinsided with the Paris riots and has been mistaken for being influenced by the events.
The film also combines a grim and stark view of the Public School system which was a target of the film, and shows things that possibly really did happen, but it also has surreal dream sequences. I feel the two together worked very well. If... also reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, which also started Malcolm McDowell. This was because of the idea of show a dystopia society (on a smaller scale) and the idea of youth running wild and uncontrolled. I would say if you liked A Clockwork Orange then you would like If...