Review of if.... (1968) by Michael M — 10 Mar 2012

If...was great! If...tells the story of a boarding school and the band of 3 who just would not conform to the tyranny of a group of Seniors who called themselves the Whips. The band of 3 were called the Crusaders. It is an allegory of oppression and how the oppressed learn to adapt and come up with methods to thwart the "Authority." Malcolm McDowell is the ultimate rebel, as seen in his more famous role in the "Clockwork Orange." I was fascinated with the relationship he has with his roommates and how they are willing to follow him, as they know they don't like the way they are being treated, but know know how to rise up themselves.

The back-and-forth between color and black-and-white film was a little confusing, as it had no pattern to it. I thought maybe the black-and-white designated a dream sequence or a flashback, but that really wasn't the case. It was interspersed with the scenes, which became disruptive, as I spent some time trying to analyze it while the movie was still playing.

I liked the times the boys were able to escape from the school and live what they maybe felt was a life of liberation, and when they had that taste, they were not willing to give it up. It was kind of uplifting, as the band of 3 would not lie down and accept inequality, but the ending was very surprising to me, as I had no knowledge of it going in. Not sure if this ruined the movie for me, but it certainly brought the Crusaders down a notch in their extreme "solution" to their oppression.