1946 Directed by Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
When a young airman miraculously survives bailing out of his aeroplane without a parachute, he falls in love with an American radio operator. But the officials in the other world realise their mistake, and despatch an angel to collect him.
The December Challenge: Film #100
What is life without love?
This is a question at the heart of Powell and Pressburger’s classic, A Matter of Life and Death: a movie I adore unreservedly and the only fitting choice for my 100th film of the December Challenge.
It seems to me that your first introduction to the work of The Archers often ends up becoming a lifelong favourite. Their films, particularly those made between ‘43-’48, are magical and transformative experiences that open your eyes to a whole new world of cinema you never even knew existed. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that your first taste is always going to be the sweetest and most enduring. Whilst A Matter of Life and Death…
I LOVED this!
With a wonderful opening that's eerily reminiscent of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life from the same year, but far superior in both execution and elocution, and a central conceit that may have been influenced by Alexander Hall’s Here Comes Mr. Jordan, but turned on its head, A Matter of Life and Death is simply charming.
There’s something about that particular time where it’s ok for true love to blossom in the space of minutes over the wireless. We believe it. Completely. When by chance, and I’m so glad that chance always works for the better in these types of films, our soon to be lovers meet, against all odds on heaven and earth, you know this…
I had seen this back in the day when I was a young pup under the title of "Stairway To Heaven" and loved it! David Niven and Kim Hunter were wonderful together as the star crossed lovers!
A marvelously charming and whimsical tale that was a real treat to watch!
My one and only gripe was the totally unnecessary and quite frankly unwanted heavy handed spiel about this American versus British garbage! Barring that little misstep it's still a winner in my book!
Film was recommended by Viktor Prentovski via my Movie Request Hotline List! Thank You Viktor for recommending it, it was a real blast from the past!
Part of The Archers Season - 1942 to 1957
If I had been smart, I would have prepared myself for this review by finding an online thesaurus and finding all the synonyms for 'wonderful' that I could possibly could.
I didn't do that, though, because I was too busy watching this film. It was a completely different experience watching this today compared to when I first saw it as a 19 year old. Back then my film tastes were not particularly defined (in fact, they're still not) and I was just watching anything that was on and that I fancied the look of. I didn't know anything about A Matter Of Life And Death when it came on Channel 4…
Film #21 of Project 40
”A weak mind isn't strong enough to hurt itself. Stupidity has saved many a man from going mad.”
The eternal power of true love. That seems to be a very clichéd statement, something that has been repeated so many times in cinema, soap operas and teenage romance novels that has lost its meaning and power. But long before all these heartless romantic fiesta that surrounds us these days two visionary, incredible and modernistic artists created something which even by today’s standards and after all the technological and structural advancements of cinema looks avant-garde, profound and technically breathtaking. A Matter of Life and Death is a movie full of fine thematic, anatomical and technical details meaning…
LFF 2017 - #42
Perfect end to LFF, watching one of my all-time favourites in the same screen our short had its World Premiere. I just love it so much, bursting with the magic that modern films can't capture, my life would be so much better if I could watch this in the cinema ever year. Powell & Pressburger are unrivalled in bottling that magic and spreading joy in Jack Cardiff's stunning technicolor. Ugh every bit is so good.
ADVENTURES IN SIGHT & SOUND BOX-CHECKING #42
Not what I expected—much more political than existential, a case for Humanity as an idea rather than a cosmic substance. Would have been about 30% more to my liking had the central romance been imbued with a little specificity beyond the (admittedly heartrending) opening, or if the climax allowed itself to transcend the power of the spoken word and accrue a little more cinematic momentum. In fact, it might be a good idea to revisit this one day now that I'm more acclimated to the Archers' way of painting romantic pictures with thin strokes.
On a more personal note, the grandiose Heaven architecture got to me on a visceral level. The titular stairway, in particular, seemed ripped straight from the saddest, farthest-reaching of teenage reveries, only even loftier and more impossible. Good stuff.
What a stunningly beautiful and warm fantasia of a film. 'A Matter of Life and Death' blends reality and fantasy together with marvellous, dreamlike elegance, and the whole film is a pure delight.
I saw this as part of the London Film Festival in an absolutely immaculate restoration, and I cannot praise the team behind the new print enough - it looked absolutely superb, and they did Powell and Pressburger proud.
Shout out to the 1945 UK government, who requested but wouldn't fund a propaganda film to repair Anglo-American relations, and got Mr Biggles Goes to Heaven, a psychedelic trip before anyone knew what they were, and an actual real $100,000 giant staircase to nowhere.
"We are talking in space, not time."
2017 4k restoration seen at the Brattle for Arthouse Theater Day.
This 4k restoration was worth the wait. This is my favorite P&P.
At least until the next time I see The Red Shoes.
Peter Stanley 1,199 films
All the films from all the editions, including those subsequently removed, presently totalling 1199. An easy way of seeing how…
Jason Bullok 1,000 films
A list of Edgar Wright's favorite 1000 Movies per his list on Mubi on July 27th, 2016.
twitter.com/edgarwright/status/758339515421433856 mubi.com/lists/edgar-wrights-favorite-movies
Dave Vis 250 films
The Letterboxd Top 250 movies, based on the average weighted rating of all Letterboxd users. I chose to remove all…
