| Description | If… is probably Lindsay Anderson's most well-known and successful film. Starring Malcolm McDowell in his first major film role it is a lyrical tale of teenage rebellion in an English public school. Filmed at Cheltenham College, where Anderson was a pupil in the 1930s, the harsh brutalities and rigid structure of public school mirror the wider inequalities of British society. The film was based on an original screenplay 'Crusaders' written by David Sherwin and John Howlett, based on their own experiences of public school. The iconic image of McDowell, machine-gun blazing, at the end of the film resonated with an audience bombarded with images of protest during the student riots of 1968. The film won the Palm D'or at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival. Material relating to the film includes scripts for Crusaders and If…; production notes; correspondence with cast, colleagues and film goers; letters from John Trevelyan (BBFC) to Anderson re possible cuts to film; correspondence with Paramount re production and promotion of film; an extensive photographic record of the making of the film; photographs of scenes from the film and Cannes Film Festival; promotional material; press cuttings and articles from magazines and journals on film. |