If....

If....
British cinema poster
Directed byLindsay Anderson
Screenplay byDavid Sherwin
Story byDavid Sherwin
John Howlett
Produced byLindsay Anderson
Michael Medwin
StarringMalcolm McDowell
Richard Warwick
Christine Noonan
David Wood
Robert Swann
CinematographyMiroslav Ondříček
Edited byDavid Gladwell
Music byMarc Wilkinson
Production
company
Memorial Enterprises
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
Running time
111 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000
Box office$2.3 million (rentals)

If.... (stylized as if....) is a 1968 British satirical drama film produced and directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as the character Mick Travis, who appeared in two further Anderson films. Other actors include Richard Warwick, Christine Noonan, David Wood, and Robert Swann. A satire of English public school life, the film follows a group of pupils who stage a savage insurrection at a boys' boarding school.

The film is notable for jumpstarting McDowell's and Anderson's career, its use of black-and-white and colour switches throughout the film, and its blend of surreal and realistic elements. Film historians have debated why the film switches out of color for years, but the real reason was because the crew didn't have enough money to buy color for most of the interior scenes. Anderson has disagreed with these rumours and said that he switches the color to distort the viewer.

Upon release, If.... received critical acclaim, with praise for its powerful and accurate depiction of the British Public School system. It continues to be considered one of the greatest British films of the 20th century, and inspires audiences with its portrayal of youthful rebellion.