Figure 1.-- The film shows the traditional dress of boys at the school, who all wear as their uniform black tail coats, formal wing-collared shirts with the school striped tie, and long trousers. The "whips" or prefects are distinguished by their elaborately elegant brocade waistcoats in various colors.

Surrealistic drama set in an oppressive British boy's public school. A lot of the junior boys are depicted, focusing on their efforts to teach a new boy all the correct responses and school lingo and their experiences as fags. The school has a long trouser uniform. This was Malcomb McDowell's first film. Has a surrealistic end when the boys rebel and take over the school. Pity it has such a ridiculous ending as some of the various scenes are quite well done--although rather outdated by the late 1960s. A British reader reports, "The reason the film cuts from colour to black and white was lack of finances for colour film. The PE uniform is worn in the fencing scene, involving McDowell, with Bobby Fisher looking down from the gallery. The school, like so many has its own Army Training Corps (ATC) and the uniform is typical of the time.

Filmology

Lindsay Anderson's film, "If..." is considered a film classic.

Cast

"If ..." starred Malcolm McDowell as a rebellious school boy at a highly traditional and repressive British "public school" (i.e., a private boarding school for boys).

Context

The content of the film was greatly influenced by the late 1960s in Britain--a period of social rebellion among school-age youth. The turmoil at the Sorbonne and other schools in France leading to the Paris school riots contributed to the general anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian perspective. In the United States, college campuses were the scene of student protests of the Vietnam War and the military draft. It was a time when young people were openly challenging virtually all authority figures and traditions. "If..." carries this essentially subversive theme. The educational system, church, and military are bashed by the rebellious trio in the film. Throughout the film fantasy and reality are mixed, and the switch back and forth from black and white to color reflects this ambiguity. The conclusion seems outrageous, or is it just wish fulfillment?"

Boys tend to remember their schooldays very differently. Many boys remember there school days with considerable affection. Others intensely disliked their schools and experiences. Often those who had unpleasant experiences were non-aththletically oriented boys who as adults were more likely to write about their schools, or in this case make a film. Thes books and films are in sharp contrast to the much more favorable views presented in Boys' Own-type publications.

Plot

The film focuses on three of the upper-form boys, "seniors", who form the nucleus of the rebellion against authority--Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell), Johnny (David Wood), and Wallace (Richard Warwick). We see various aspects of school life as a new term begins (Anglican chapel services with the boys singing hymns, rugby games, a fencing match, the junior boys, known as "scum" doing menial tasks at the behest of the older boys, dormitory life complete with showers and baths, the caning of the rebellious trio to bring them into line, and military maneuvers performed by the Cadet Corps--the British equivalent of ROTC--as part of the school program). In one episode, the three rebels go off campus and steal a motor bike from a local showroom and conduct a dalliance with a girl at a roadside cafe. The fantasy nature of the whole film is nicely suggested by the oscillation between black-and-white and color photography. The film is a fantasy in which three of the boys (aged about 17-18) form a little cabal and overthrow the establishment of the school on a day when parents are present by shooting them all dead in a military insurgency. The age range of the school is that of a typical public school from about 13 to 19. The "whips" (or prefects) are the senior boys in charge of discipline and one of them, Rowntree (Robert Swann), actually conducts the brutal caning session in the gymnasium. Each of the three rebel boys or "Crusaders" as they think of themselves is individually ushered into the gym, removes his tail coat, is forced to bend over an exercise bar, and is beaten severely on the behind. Then the boy, having been punished, is required to shake the hand of Rowntree, a symbolic act of humiliation before authority.

Costuming

The film shows the traditional dress of boys at the school, who all wear as their uniform black tail coats, formal wing-collared shirts with the school striped tie, and long trousers. The "whips" or prefects are distinguished by their elaborately elegant brocade waistcoats in various colors. The other boys wear vests or waistcoats but only black ones matching their tail coats. The dress code is extremely strict and formal. No short pants, however, are worn except for sports.

The School

Cheltenham could have driven any sane, rational person over the edge. The school authorities were cold hearted and petty, singling out students for minor infractions of rules. The prefect system added another layer of brutality. Students and faculty alike were bored by chapel ceremonies, and the military exercises and instructors seemed silly. Worst of all were the punishments (cold showers, canings), concocted to root out non-conformity. In this film, anyway, it only bred more resentment and hostility that exploded at the film's end.

British Private Schools

Th school in "IF ..." is cleardly a rather dreadful place. In actuality there was quite a wide variation in British boardig schools. There were some dreadful ones. There were also some more pleasant ones. Major changes in these schools ocurred in the 1960s and 70s. YThey became much more pleasant places to attend. Several factors were at play here. There were difficult economic times in Britain and it became more difficult for middle-class oarents to send their children to boarding schools. At the same time that competition increased and some schools closed, parents began giving more weight to their children's opinions. Another factoir related to the econonomic situation was that many boys' schools (less commonly girls' schools) became coed to maintain roles. Parents who might accept spartin accmodations for their boys, were less willing to accept them for their girls. These and other factors had a major impact on British private schools. For a pictoral view of these schools in the 1980s, see Boys' Preparatory Schools.

Cheltenham College

The script was composed by David Sherwin, who had attended a traditional English public school at Tonbridge. Lindsay Anderson, the film's director, had attended Cheltenham College (the actual public school used in the filming), and his unfavorable presentation of his alma mater on the screen earned him a lot of resentment by the school authorities.

Reader Comments

An american reader writes, ""If..." is one of my favorite films. Even in this dreary universe loyalty and friendship couldn't be broken. This helps make the school bearable. Mick (Malcolm Mc Dowell) and his mates could see through the games played by the school establishment, and they were at their best when they played their own games with the powers that be. The scenes of camaraderie and playfulness are among the nicest moments in the film."

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Created: December 3, 2003
Last updated: December 3, 2003