Summary
In its subject matter and atmosphere, Anderson's best-known work is linked to the time of its creation, the tumultuous year of 1968, when a wave of student riots surged. By depicting an anarchist rebellion in the dormitory of students from wealthy families, the author criticizes the outdated system of English education with its rigid discipline and corporal punishment. The film won the main prize, the Palme d'Or, at the Cannes IFF, which had not been awarded the year before as a result of May 1968. Anderson's If... is also Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondříček's most famous "neo-Fordist" film. "If" is a synthesis of documentary, satire and fantasy. In its extreme sharpness, it shows the British boarding school regime, with its sometimes draconian - and long outdated - customs. The inspiration here was Jean Vigo and his Troika of manners. The final dream scene, giving anarchy free rein, also contains a critique of anarchy. The intermingling ofcolourfilm with black and white passages enriches the overall impression of an extraordinarily successful work."
- Alfred Brendel