Review of if.... (1968) by Ted C — 28 Jan 2015

Lindsay Anderson's If.... is a provocative film but not a very subtle one. Set in a rigid English boarding school during the late 60's, Anderson shapes a vision of society restricted by stringent routine and an uncompromising sense of national pride.

Malcolm McDowell, in his first major role, approaches his performance as a dissident student (named Mick Travis) with rebellious charm and ironic macabre. His primary relationship to the audience is that of the sympathetic victim, falling prey to the injustice of a system that has no room for agitators.

Mick's transition from sympathetic to seriously unlikable occurs by the disappointing and anti-climactic third act, which find Mick orchestrating a bloody revenge upon the entire school (i.e. the "system") in a conclusion that proclaims the gospel of anarchy with the whiz of every bullet.

The film is meant to be wish-fulfillment, which is indicative of its ideological position. Lauded as a "landmark in countercultural cinema," If.... presents a world in which order is the enemy and revolution is the answer.