If (1968) - Closing Scene Analysis

The first few shots of the closing scene of If establish the location of the youth on the rooftop and the rest of the characters down in the courtyard. This immediately creates a sense of the youth hiding from the rest of the people of the time during the 60s. The general stereotype of the time was of people, particularly young people, breaking free of the rules and constraints of the time, but the placement of the youth hiding in this scene proves how they were still being watched and restricted.
The idea of the youth firing at society is a representation of their desire for rebellion. This rebellion causes destruction and chaos which could symbolise the idea that 'Swinging Britain' was just a myth, and, in reality, the slight increase in freedom had awful, dark consequences. The scene also clearly represents the youth as the "bad guys", which emphasises the lack of freedom and independence that the youth had at the time, as well as emphasising the lack of control and intense destruction the youth were identified with.

The youth on the rooftop seem to be really getting into the firing of the guns and it really creates a feel of games and role play, where young children run around pretending to be in the war. This really emphasises how the youth really were young and should still have been guarded and controlled because of the destruction they were capable of. This, again, shatters the 'Swinging Britain' myth of happy-endings and exciting freedom. In the first shot, there is smoke forcing people out of the building. The smoke could be a metaphor for how the youth of the time would cover their actions up and rebel behind the backs of society, their parents etc. The smoke causing people to leave the building shows how the events that the youth were a part of were damaging.
At the same time, the youth (the character Travis, in particular) are firing at society in angry way to represent how the rules, restrictions and strictness were seen as unfair through the eyes of the youth.

Shots of the man in armour and religious uniform represent the idea of society forcing ideas of war, patriotism and religion onto the youth of the time. This is an echo of all the religion and war references and rules applied in the film through the boarding school and how they stopped the boys in the school from having fun.
The shot of people hiding behind the car includes a gun being passed around. This is an idea of the conflict between society and the youth of the time.
The shot where guns are being passed out of the window to the people in the courtyard symbolises the idea of society "ganging up" against the youth and causing a brutal war and divide between them.
In the shot where The Girl fires a bullet and kills the headmaster, an idea of rebellion and lack of tolerance for the constant lies told the youth in order to control them is shown ("Boys! Boys! I understand you! Listen to reason and trust me! Trust me!").

One of the shots in the film includes the image of a tree in the courtyard. The tree is dark and leafless which could represent how the bright and colourful idea of the 'swinging 60s' was false and how, in reality, the 60s were dark and lifeless.