A Matter of Life and Death
Neither Heaven nor Earth could keep them apart!
A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.
Romance
Fantasy
Drama
Comedy
7.8
460 reviewsRuntime: 104 min.
Budget: $450,000
Revenue: $1,750,000
Release Date: 1946-12-15
Director(s): Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Production: The Archers, J. Arthur Rank Organisation
Languages: English, French, Russian
IMDB: tt0038733
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CinemaSerf★ 7/107/7/2022
Jack Cardiff shows off the cinematographers art to beautiful effect in this Powell and Pressberger tale of a WWII pilot (David Niven) who cheats death, falls in love (with Kim Hunter) and then argues before a heavenly court why he should not have to die (yet) after all. The story is tinged with humour and pathos and poses some fairly basic "human rights" questions. Marius Goring - "Conductor 71" is slightly menacing and totally charming as he tries to persuade Niven to volunteer for his fate - a thankless task in itself. Roger Livesey is superb arguing for Niven with an equally impressive - if somewhat anti-English - Raymond Massey as his opponent. The stark contrast between the monochrome scenes on Earth and the vibrant colours of the celestial world bring much to this stylish, clever and at times almost dreamily presented joy.