If...

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Ron S Jan 23, 2019 A commanding work of poetic anarchy that pulls no punches---in fact, it adds some---in its brutal pummeling of the British upper crust and the disciplinary society of boarding school. Somewhere between satire and surrealism, the film vacillates between black-and-white scenes of rigid, lifeless authority and those of youthful rebellion filmed in full hue. Color is used subversively throughout the movie to signify the vitality the students lack: McDowell and his crusaders fill their hidden enclave with a photo collage of people of color, the red feathers of a dart indicate both blood and cocktail cherries, and so on. The call of the wild resounds loudly to these young cubs defying their domestication, their animal natures set against the backdrop of high society's stiffness, the roar of a lion replacing puberty's vocal change, and African tribal music drowning out religious hymns. Filmed at the height of the Sixties counter culture that sought a break with classical disciplinary capitalism's alienation, in the shadow of the May '68 student protests in France, the movie amounts to a dream: "What if it were to happen here..." --- of course, that ending sequence, once absurd and impossible, is a nightmare now happening here in the US far, far too often, youthful rebellion giving way to the violent symptoms of early onset adulthood under the banner of late capitalism's control society. See more

Hagrid W Oct 28, 2018 i liked this film but i thought it was pretty dry and real long

Finn S Jun 3, 2017 Lindsay Anderson's counterculture classic culminates with one of the most iconic scenes from 1960s British cinema, but the run-up to this moment of intense catharsis is relatively subdued. If... is built upon subversive, anti-establishment ideals, but these simmer beneath the surface of semi-surrealist repression for most of the movie's runtime. The result of this is less of a slow-burn and more of a polite sizzle, which nicely mirrors the oh-so-British backdrop and allows for stop-start pauses for artistic and apolitical reflection. For the modern viewer, the film seldom shocks or inspires, it merely stirs the imagination, giving us the time and tools we need to sit back, consider its stance and admire its timeless message. See more

Draco W May 4, 2017 It may feel a little over-the-top to call a piece of cinematic work important, but I think 'If...' is a film, to which, it can legitimately be applied. It is not only important in the history of cinema, but also as a historical document, given the political climate which surrounded its release. As a movie, it burns slowly, revealing the extent to which it holds its point of view gradually, and I think its message is more forceful for that. Well acted, nicely directed, the film is essential viewing for anyone who enjoys mature, serious cinema, and, for anyone who enjoys truly well-made work. See more

Luke S Feb 16, 2017 While caustic and exceptionally well made, If... occasionally seems slow in its storytelling in a meandering rather than an artistic way. See more

Anakin W Jul 28, 2016 It tries to be Godard but ends up more like a film you go see when you're stoned.

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