(Warning: I mention parts of this film's plot in the comments below)
Well after 17 years I recently saw this film once again and to be honest it just doesn't seem as memorable as I remember it. Maybe it's because of all that has happened the past few years but this film's ending seems just plain cruel, out of place and unnecessary.
It's also odd but the last time I saw this film I could have sworn its title "If..." didn't pop up at the very end but was right before an ending that showed the school on a typical day as if nothing had happened and the violent ending was only a possibility (hence "If...."). I must have dreamed that ending.
It's still a well made film with a provocative title and good original music by Marc Wilkinson (a song called SANCTUS from the African mass "Missa Luba" is also used).
Unfortunately -- at least for me -- there's only one memorable scene in the entire film and it's a turning point in it. It occurs in section #6 (called "Resistance"). While Mick (another Mick?) the amateur astronomer gazes into the night sky with his telescope he tells Mick Travis "Space you see Michael is all expanding at the speed of light...". Mick Travis asks if Mick is with them in the planed rebellion by handing him a bullet. Mick (probably one of the few normal older students) hands the bullet back and offers Mick Travis a glance through the telescope. Mick gazes into the sky and lowers the telescope to see his girlfriend in a distant window. She waves back. (She either has very good eye sight or he adjusted the telescope's view while scanning down?). It's a well made scene that I still remember from 17 years ago. It's also funny but this time I noticed on this latest viewing how much the music in that section sounds like something off of The Moody Blues' "Days of Future Past" album (you remember: "Breath deep the gathering gloom...").
If this is basically just an all boys high school in England like you would have in the U.S. (Is it just a high school? Am I correct about that?) then most students would be between 14 and 18 years old. Maybe it's because most of the older students at this school are played by actors in their twenties (Malcolm McDowell was 25 at the time) and the fact that most of the younger students look like they're about 11 years old, but for the older students it looks like the greatest sadness in their lives isn't the regimented environment they live in at this school but that they are basically treated like children or same as the youngest students. Sure the older ones have additional responsibilities but they are basically treated like they're 11 -- they can't go into town (it's off limits) and everyone must be inside by 5 PM, etc.
One final thought: There are a few quotes mentioned under this Web page's "Memorable Quotes" section but not listed are the ones I always thought were this film's most unique, which are:
Headmaster: Work, play, but never mix the two.
Headmaster: Those given most, have most to give.
Well after 17 years I recently saw this film once again and to be honest it just doesn't seem as memorable as I remember it. Maybe it's because of all that has happened the past few years but this film's ending seems just plain cruel, out of place and unnecessary.
It's also odd but the last time I saw this film I could have sworn its title "If..." didn't pop up at the very end but was right before an ending that showed the school on a typical day as if nothing had happened and the violent ending was only a possibility (hence "If...."). I must have dreamed that ending.
It's still a well made film with a provocative title and good original music by Marc Wilkinson (a song called SANCTUS from the African mass "Missa Luba" is also used).
Unfortunately -- at least for me -- there's only one memorable scene in the entire film and it's a turning point in it. It occurs in section #6 (called "Resistance"). While Mick (another Mick?) the amateur astronomer gazes into the night sky with his telescope he tells Mick Travis "Space you see Michael is all expanding at the speed of light...". Mick Travis asks if Mick is with them in the planed rebellion by handing him a bullet. Mick (probably one of the few normal older students) hands the bullet back and offers Mick Travis a glance through the telescope. Mick gazes into the sky and lowers the telescope to see his girlfriend in a distant window. She waves back. (She either has very good eye sight or he adjusted the telescope's view while scanning down?). It's a well made scene that I still remember from 17 years ago. It's also funny but this time I noticed on this latest viewing how much the music in that section sounds like something off of The Moody Blues' "Days of Future Past" album (you remember: "Breath deep the gathering gloom...").
If this is basically just an all boys high school in England like you would have in the U.S. (Is it just a high school? Am I correct about that?) then most students would be between 14 and 18 years old. Maybe it's because most of the older students at this school are played by actors in their twenties (Malcolm McDowell was 25 at the time) and the fact that most of the younger students look like they're about 11 years old, but for the older students it looks like the greatest sadness in their lives isn't the regimented environment they live in at this school but that they are basically treated like children or same as the youngest students. Sure the older ones have additional responsibilities but they are basically treated like they're 11 -- they can't go into town (it's off limits) and everyone must be inside by 5 PM, etc.
One final thought: There are a few quotes mentioned under this Web page's "Memorable Quotes" section but not listed are the ones I always thought were this film's most unique, which are:
Headmaster: Work, play, but never mix the two.
Headmaster: Those given most, have most to give.