By far Lindsay Anderson's most popular film and one could argue deservedly so (though I personally like all his films other than the sad finale to the Mick Travis trilogy, "Britannia Hospital"), "If..." is an unforgettable, powerful rebel yell which I believe to be allegorical in nature but works perfectly fine if taken literally. Superb acting from the entire cast but particularly Malcolm McDowell in the lead, stylish direction and good photography, with a sly, effective screenplay which reveals more about its nature as the film moves on. For a film often accused of being very dated and 'of its time', a DVD-projected theater screening for twenty or so Canadian youth who had never seen the film before and knew nothing of public schools seemed to go extraordinarily well. The film doesn't seem to have lost any of its power to provoke or surprise.
When do we live? That's what I want to know.
When do we live? That's what I want to know.