A matter of life and death 1946 - Very imaginative, deeply romantic fantasy-comedy

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IMDB rating: 8,1

Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Main Cast: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote, Kathleen Byron, Richard Attenborough

"A matter of life and death could easily be the most complex movie to come out of World War II. The film is a comedy that often leaves its viewers in tears; a romantic drama that makes audiences laugh; a literate movie with a multi-layered script that gives nods to Shakespeare and Schiller; yet, a film so dazzling in its visuals that it requires more than one viewing to absorb fully. Also known as Stairway to Heaven, the movie is a remarkable British fantasy film that became the surprise hit of 1946. David Niven stars as Peter Carter, a World War II RAF pilot who is forced to bail out of his crippled plane without a parachute. He wakes up to find he has landed on Earth utterly unharmed...which wasn't supposed to happen according to the rules of Heaven. A celestial court argues over whether or not to claim Carter's life or to let him survive to wed his American sweetheart (Kim Hunter). During an operation, in which Carter hovers between life and death, he dreams that his spirit is on trial, with God (Abraham Sofaer) as judge and Carter's recently deceased best friend (Roger Livesey) as defense counsel. The film tries to have it both ways by suggesting that the heavenly scenes are all a product of Carter's imagination, but the audience knows better. Among the curious but effective artistic choices in A Matter of Life and Death was the decision to film the earthbound scenes in Technicolor and the Heaven sequences in black-and-white. The film was a product of the adventuresome team known as 'The Archers': Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger." - www.allmovie.com

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