Filmed at the time of the student revolts in Paris, Lindsay Anderson's "If..." (1968) wowed audiences with its heady mix of anti-authority messages and shocking violence. The movie is structured in seven chapters: College-Once Again Assembled, Term Time,Ritual and Romance, Discipline, Resistance, Forth to War and Crusaders. Each chapter reflects an aspect of English prep school life, and each gets progressively more abusive. The strong violence is not romanticized. Malcolm McDowell's movie debut as a student rebelling against authority is a performance that resonates.
