If....
| If.... | |
|---|---|
| British cinema poster | |
| Directed by | Lindsay Anderson | 
| Screenplay by | David Sherwin | 
| Story by | David Sherwin John Howlett | 
| Produced by | Lindsay Anderson Michael Medwin | 
| Starring | Malcolm McDowell Richard Warwick Christine Noonan David Wood Robert Swann | 
| Cinematography | Miroslav Ondříček | 
| Edited by | David Gladwell | 
| Music by | Marc Wilkinson | 
| Production company | Memorial Enterprises | 
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures | 
| Release dates | 
 | 
| Running time | 111 minutes | 
| Country | United Kingdom | 
| Language | English | 
| 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.