if.... (Criterion Collection)

IF, directed by Lindsay Anderson (THIS SPORTING LIFE), is a daringly chaotic vision of British society, set in a boarding school in late-sixties England. Before Kubrick made his mischief iconic in a CLOCKWORK ORANGE, Malcolm McDowell made a hell of an impression as the insouciant Mick Travis, who, along with his school chums, trumps authority at every turn, finally emerging as a violent savior against the vicious games of one-upmanship played by both students and masters. Mixing color and black and white as audaciously as it mixes fantasy and reality, IF remains one of cinemas most unforgettable rebel yells.