A Matter of Life and Death

What a fascinating British romantic movie “A Matter of Life and Death” (1946) directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and starring David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesey among others.

Its 1944 and Peter Carter (David Niven) is a British airman whose aircraft has been hit, his crew has bailed out and his parachute has been broken. He gets into a radio contact with June (Kim Hunter) who is aghast at his desperate condition and gives him succour.

Peter nevertheless falls and 20 hours later finds himself in the arms of June. By then he should have reported to the Other World with gleaming walls and pilots lining up to sign at the door. Peter’s co pilot Trubshawe waits for him at the gates.

Conductor 71 (Marius Goring) is sent to investigate the case and Peter argues that its not his fault that he was not discovered and now that he has fallen in love with June, he deserves to live and should have a right to an appeal. His right to appeal is given and he has to chose a counsel from those already dead like Socrates, Plato, Julius Ceasar etc.

Meanwhile June’s good friend Dr. Frank Reeves (Roger Livesey) a neurologist decides to operate upon him that very night when his case has to be heard. Unfortunately its a stormy night and Frank dies in a motorcyle accident. Peter chooses Frank as his counsel.

The counsel hearing is interesting as the camera shows all the hundreds of soldiers and nurses and doctors and other common people among the dead, giving a silent message of the monstrosity of war. Unbelievably good script at the end the argument goes to and forth brilliantly. Its celestial world mixed up with earthly romance in a beautiful plot, a casting coup and superb special effects. IMDB 6/10