A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Directors:

Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Michael Powell (written by) and
Emeric Pressburger (written by)

Release Date:

March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War

Tagline:

Neither Heaven nor Earth could keep them apart!

Plot:

A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court.

Plot Keywords:

Heaven | Love | Trial | Radio | Fog

Awards:

1 win

Cast

David Niven	...	Peter Carter
Kim Hunter	...	June
Robert Coote	...	Bob Trubshawe
Kathleen Byron	...	An Angel
Richard Attenborough	...	An English Pilot
Bonar Colleano	...	An American Pilot (also as Bonor Colleano)
Joan Maude	...	Chief Recorder
Marius Goring	...	Conductor 71
Roger Livesey	...	Doctor Frank Reeves
Robert Atkins	...	The Vicar
Bob Roberts	...	Dr. Gaertler
Edwin Max	...	Dr. McEwen
Betty Potter	...	Mrs. Tucker
Abraham Sofaer	...	The Judge / The Surgeon
Raymond Massey	...	Abraham Farlan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Nielson
Robert Arden	...	GI Playing Bottom (uncredited)
Robert Beatty	...	US Crewman (uncredited)
Tommy Duggan	...	American Policeman (uncredited)
Erik	...	Spaniel (uncredited)
John Huntley	...	Extra in Celestial Courtroom (uncredited)
John Longden	...	Narrator of introduction (uncredited) (voice)
Howard Marshall	...	Cricket commentator on radio (voice) (uncredited)
Lois Maxwell	...	Actress (uncredited)
Wally Patch	...	ARP Warden (uncredited)
Roger Snowden	...	Irishman (uncredited)
Spangle	...	Spaniel (uncredited)
Wendy Thompson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Geoff van Rijssel	...	Extra in Celestial Courtroom (uncredited)
Joan Verney	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writing credits
Michael Powell		(written by) and
Emeric Pressburger		(written by)

Produced by
George R. Busby	....	assistant producer (as George Busby)
Michael Powell	....	producer
Emeric Pressburger	....	producer

Original Music by
Allan Gray

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Reginald Mills

Casting by
Pat MacDonnell		(uncredited)
Adele Raymond		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Alfred Junge

Costume Design by
Joseph Bato		(uncredited)
Hein Heckroth		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist
Ida Mills	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert C. Foord	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Parry Jones Jr.	....	assistant director
Paul Kelly	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Laurie Knight	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Pat Marsden	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Lawson	....	assistant art director
Joseph Bato	....	assistant painter (uncredited)
William Hutchinson	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
William Kellner	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Terence Morgan II	....	assistant property maker (uncredited)
Don Picton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Roger Ramsdell	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.C. Stevens	....	sound recordist
Michael Colomb	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Peter Davies	....	dubbing sound camera (uncredited)
Roy Day	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
John Dennis	....	pre-dubbing (uncredited)
Desmond Dew	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)
David Hildyard	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Harold Rowland	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
G. Sanders	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Alan Whatley	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)

Special Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	additional effects (as Percy Day)
Henry Harris	....	special effects
Douglas Woolsey	....	special effects
William C. Andrews	....	special effects (uncredited)
George Blackwell	....	additional effects (uncredited)
Stanley Grant	....	additional effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	assistant matte artist (uncredited)
Stanley Grant	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Jack Whitehead	....	back projection (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Geoffrey Unsworth	....	camera operator
Bill Wall	....	chief electrician (as William Wall)
Dick Allport	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Eric Besche	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Jim Body	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Christopher Challis	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Fred Daniels	....	still photographer: portraits (uncredited)
Eric Gray	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Minassian	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Johnnie von Klotze	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hein Heckroth	....	costumes

Editorial Department
David Powell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Walter Goehr	....	conductor
Lambert Williamson	....	assistant conductor (as W.L. Williamson)

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	associate colour control
Michael C. Chorlton	....	motor-bike shots (as Michael Chorlton)
Natalie Kalmus	....	color control
John Seabourne Jr.	....	liaison editor
Alan Brook	....	advisor: table tennis (uncredited)
Alan Brook	....	trainer: table tennis (uncredited)
Andrew Donally	....	support team (uncredited)
Bernard Kaplan	....	technical advisor: operating theatre (uncredited)
Vivienne Knight	....	publicist (uncredited)
Ainslie L'evine	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Bunny Parsons	....	continuity (uncredited)
Bill Paton	....	assistant: Mr Powell (uncredited)
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Archers, The
• Independent Producers

Distributors

• Eagle-Lion Distributors Limited (1946) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1977) (USA) (TV)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1948) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures Industries (1994) (USA) (all media) (restored version)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (restored version)
• Epix Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• PVB Editions (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Pickwick Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Television (????) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Technicolor Limited

Also Known As:

Stairway to Heaven (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White (Dye-Monochrome) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (1995) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #11724) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | UK:U (video rating) (1995) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Ireland:G

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Archers, The

Trivia:

The judge quotes Sir Walter Scott's lines from a stanza which is part of the third Canto of 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel'. Since Scott's death, the stanza has been separately published under the title 'Love'.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Conductor 71 says "One is starved for colour up there" during filming, but "Technicolor" was dubbed for "colour" during post-production.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: This is the universe. Big, isn't it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Scherzo

Beautiful

A Matter of Life and Death, what can you really say that would properly do justice to the genius and beauty of this film. Powell and Pressburger's visual imagination knows no bounds, every frame is filled with fantastically bold compositions. The switches between the bold colours of "the real world" to the stark black and white of heaven is ingenious, showing us visually just how much more vibrant life is. The final court scene is also fantastic, as the judge and jury descend the stairway to heaven to hold court over Peter (David Niven)'s operation.

All of the performances are spot on (Roger Livesey being a standout), and the romantic energy of the film is beautiful, never has there been a more romantic film than this (if there has I haven't seen it). A Matter of Life and Death is all about the power of love and just how important life is. And Jack Cardiff's cinematography is reason enough to watch the film alone, the way he lights Kim Hunter's face makes her all the more beautiful, what a genius, he can make a simple things such as a game of table tennis look exciting. And the sound design is also impeccable; the way the sound mutes at vital points was a decision way ahead of its time

This is a true classic that can restore anyone's faith in cinema, under appreciated on its initial release and by today's audiences, but one of my all time favourites, which is why I give this film a 10/10, in a word - Beautiful.