British classic If…. was a product of its time, created in a crucible of anti-establishment feeling: in 1968 civil unrest was sweeping the globe, from USA’s Black Panther movement, to student and worker protests across Europe and anti-Vietnam War rallies worldwide. The film, famous for its rebellious message and violent fantasy sequences, tracks the abuse of authority in a public school and the impact on four adolescent boys. In fact, as director Anderson acknowledged, If… was influenced by Jean Vigo’s much earlier film, Zero de Conduite (1933).
If….‘s co-writer, David Sherwin, drew heavily on his experiences as a boarder at Tonbridge School and the film was shot at Anderson’s own alma mater Cheltenham College. (Some scenes were shot at Croydon’s Whitgift School, whose pupils appear as extras; the motorbike shop is Broadway Motor Company on Gladstone Road, Wimbledon.) Malcolm McDowell made his screen debut as Anderson’s anti-hero Mick Travis (later the central role in O LUCKY MAN! and BRITANNIA HOSPITAL), bringing him to the attention of Stanley Kubrick who cast him in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE thus making him a household name.
Ranked as the 12th greatest film of the twentieth century, a Palme d’Or winner and ‘a movie of real authority’ – Philip French, The Observer
“A nihilistic vision that preceded the negative energy of punk by 10 years … It draws its considerable strength from the fact that many of the absurdist elements of the story have roots in reality. … Travis stands in a long line of doomed romantic heroes from Beethoven to Russell Brand.” John Keenan, The Guardian
