Review of if.... (1968) by Daren F — 10 Dec 2008

I went and got this movie mostly because Malcolm McDowell is an excellent actor and it sound very good and I have been in a counter culture mood for a while. The first thing is the film probably would have been better if I were British and therefore would have known the qualities of the education system and some of its workings, but this does not hurt the film very much.

[i]If...[/i] is a daring movie with scenes in color and black/white, some said it was cheaper that way and some say that they had to work fast in the chapel and black/white lighting is easier than color and they liked it so much they kept using it.

But whatever the reason the switching back and forth is amazing and so is the mixing of reality and fantasy with quite the tinge of surrealism. Not all the scenes work perfectly, the end is a little odd not it tone or anything there was just something wrong, but the scenes that do not work perfectly are done with a grace and daring that they are some of the most impressive missteps on celluloid.

This is also the film that gave McDowell his screen debut and made Kubrick want him for [i]A Clockwork Orange[/i] and McDowell does not disappoint here, an impressive performance. This is really a great film and is a testament that England had a pretty good New Wave in the 60s, despite America's willingness to glance over it.