Dildohead & Noodleshitter > Douchebag

Wendy Notsid’s Retro Movie Reviews                                      

 The Mick Travis Trilogy Part I: 

If… (1968)

Director:

Lindsey Anderson     

Writer(s):

David Sherwin and John Howlett (Script: “Crusaders”)

Starring:

Malcolm McDowell

Christine Noonan

David Wood

Considering the amount of hoopla over the DVD release of Rob Zombie’s “Eh, not too bad” remake of Halloween and Mr. Michael Myers’ entry into our fine community here on Buzznet, I thought I’d put a bit of focus for my first review of Myers’ righteous nemesis, Dr. Loomis (the old guy). Or, more accurately, the man playing him, the legendary Malcolm McDowell. I wanted to pay some tribute to his work when he was young.

McDowell, 1975

If you are any fan of cinema, then you probably know McDowell from his portrayal of Alex Delarge in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece A Clockwork Orange. But rather than focus on the same film everybody else does, I am going to discuss another major role in McDowell’s early career. Mr. Mick Travis.

            McDowell played Travis in three films directed by his friend and mentor, legendary director Lindsey Anderson, If... (1968), O Lucky Man! (1973), and Britannia Hospital (1982). All of which were satires on separate aspects of British (and in several cases, American) culture. If… was the first, a satire of the rigid and hypocritical government and authority within British public (or, as we say in America, private) boarding schools.

            If… was McDowell’s first film, and it was the beginning of a fantastic actor-director relationship comparable to Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese or Elian Kanzo and Marlon Brando. McDowell plays the part of Mick, a rebellious student at “College House” who’s acts of resistance under the harsh and abusive treatment of the school’s hierarchy increases rapidly in risk and extremity.

Anderson was a brilliant director, who kept the story believable despite random shifts in reality. The film is shot mostly in color with occasional scenes shot in black and white (due to the film’s limited budget). Despite this, the color changes are done gracefully. One shift in particular sticks in my memory where Mick Travis is fencing wildly in one of the school’s gymnasiums with his two best friends Johnny and Wallace (David Wood and Richard Warwick). At first in black and white, it shows the boys racing around the gym, then out the door to another. Upon their entering a second room, the scene is suddenly in color.

            While Travis is the obvious main character, excerpts of the film lack his presence completely and instead follow other characters. The authority at College House displays itself in shots surrounding numerous characters, including the all-powerful and abusive Prefects or “Whips” and the Freshmen “Scum”. The Scum get treated as slaves by The Whips and, in some cases, as sex objects.

            The homosexual environment reveals itself on several occasions, instances when combined make for a surprisingly balanced view considering the time period (Gay sex had only just been partially decriminalized in Britain). Of course, a building filled with teenage boys, it is bound to reveal itself even with heterosexuals, tension mounts. Sometimes it is dealt with tenderness, but other times it can seem repulsive. There are the Whips, in particular the head prefect Rowntree (Robert Swann) and Fortinbras (Michael Cadman), who exploit the angelic-looking freshman Bobby Philips (Rupert Webster). In one scene, after Bobby Philips leaves the Whips’ study after serving them muffins, Fortibras remarks to Rowntree, “He gets a little lovelier each day. You and your wholesome Bobby Philips is going to drive us mad with jealousy” then proceeds to inform the Prefects that the Whips from another House at the school propositioned that Rowntree and Fortinbras send Philips to scum for them in exchange for their tailor. “That little blonde, MWAH!”. Within a minute, the sequence shifts focus from a sexual revelation to a biting wake-up to just how drunk and perverted on power the Whips are. On the other side, we see the same Bobby Philips having innocent, yet intimate encounters with Travis’s friend Wallace which later prove to form a bond as deep and valuable as any other relationship with a degree in romance.

            But this film isn’t about sexual exploration. It’s about corruption and cruelty.  Another victim is seen in a new Scum called Jute (Sean Bury) who on the first day receives a sneer of “You don’t talk to us” from a senior when asking for directions. Later on we find him being instructed in the mandatory knowledge of the College House etiquette and names of the seniors. He is quizzed by his peers, who hit and yell fiercely at him when he gets the answer right but says it wrong. “It’s not just the matter of the answer, but how you say it. One mistake and you fail the whole test and we all get beaten.” Simple statements like this come out at you unexpected no matter what the setting.

            Welcome to College House. When they say “New Blood”, they mean it literally.

            But back to Mick Travis, a senior, who normally would not be much of a victim if he only conformed. But Mick Travis is a character described by director Lindsey Anderson as “One who stands up and says no against overwhelming odds.” This is not apparent at first, though you know straight away when you meet him that he is rebel. The first full shot of his face is of him sporting a strictly forbidden moustache. But as your revulsion at the Whips’ abuse rises, so does the extremity in Travis’ rebellious behavior.

            Travis though proves himself to be revolutionary in more ways than one. You are enraptured by his obvious intelligence, boyish charm, and wild exploits. At the same time you are repeatedly taken off guard by certain actions and statements by him. No matter what, you know he is a challenging character, one who is observant and willful.

In between major acts of defiance by Travis (including a scene in which he escapes with Johnny to the town and steals a motorcycle, another of an act of frightening violence, and of course the shocking, though metaphorical, ending), two queer quirks repeat themselves. One being Travis himself, who when fooling around in the study he shares with his friends occasionally utters random statements of strange yet striking philosophy when he should be making some typically adolescent comment. The foreshadowing is evident enough to make you aware of its purpose but cryptic enough to keep the outcome of the whole film shocking.

            The second quirk is the tendency of this film to let fantasy pop up in the middle of reality, a perfect example being the infamous coffee shop scene. After abruptly kissing the girl-clerk (Christine Noonan) harshly and going to the jukebox, the girl approaches and challenges him. The two quickly engage in a bizarre growling match. A second later they are wrestling naked on the floor. Other instances of this are less intense and more humorous, such as when the Headmaster of the school commands Mick, Johnny, and Wallace to apologize to the school chaplain. The Headmaster then opens the top drawer of his desk and out pops the Chaplain, ready to shake the boys’ hands.

Overall, If… is a masterpiece, simply put. It adds all the dynamics of authority and rebellion. The performances, particularly McDowell’s, are nothing short of spectacular and the characters are relatable and captivating. Multiple meanings are found in every scene each time you watch the film, and no matter what, you never lose interest. And as the film progressives, the question is still relevant: Which side are you on?

(Thanks to John Ounceofwentz and Huldaholm for your help!)