SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

rogerdarlington At the end of the Second World War, relations between the Americans and the British were a little strained as, in the run-up to D-Day, the yanks won local hearts while they were "overpaid, oversexed and over here" and a British Government department suggested the idea of a locally-made film to improve perceptions.Written, produced and directed by the quintessentially British Michael Powell and the Hungarian-born Emeric Pressburger, the work may not have fully met its contemporary brief: British critics of the time thought the film was too pro-American and the Americans renamed the work "Stairway To Heaven" because they thought the word 'death' would kill its prospects. But the movie played well with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and it was so visually inventive and verbally clever that it has become a classic.At the heart of the story is an inversion of the usual 'yank gets the girl' narrative, as RAF bomber pilot Squadron Leader Peter Carter (David Niven) wins the affection of American radio operator June (Kim Hunter) in record time and audacious circumstances as he is about to bale out without a parachute. That should be the end of the 'matter' but Conductor 71 (Marius Goring) of "the other world" (the word 'heaven'is never used) fails to find his man in the Channel fog.So this is a romance - and a comedy - but it is also very political with some satirical analysis of contemporary Britain and America. The tribunal in the other world, pitting American prosecuter (Raymond Massey) against the British defender (Roger Livesey), features critiques and characteriisations of both nations, not least in the choice of the members of the two juries.The set designs - by German-born Alfred Junge - are simple but striking, especially the staircase to the other world and the scenes of that world, while there are a whole range of clever visual techniques, starting with the representation of earth in colour and the heavenly world in black & white and including the 'freezing' of 'real life' when Conductor 71 makes his earthly appearances and an amzing shot from an eyeball point of view.Even the statutes on the stairway are carefully chosen (all of the 17 famous personages named in Pressburger's copy of the script were believed to be sufferers of epilepsy). Indeed the whole film is constructed so that the viewer can interpret the story either as a real life medical phenomenon or as an obviously spiritual experience.Most people will only have seen this film on television which is where I first encountered it. But, in December 2017, a digitally restored version was shown in British cinemas and I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen as a Boxing Day treat.Seven decades on, the film still has resonance as a British Prince Harry wins the heart of the American actress Meghan Markle and the second jury - made up entirely of self-declared immigrants to the USA - reminds us that current US President Donald Trump does not represent the real America.

Leofwine_draca A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH is another creative tour-de-force from directors Powell and Pressburger. Like many films made in the post-war period, this one tackles the subject of spirituality, in particular Heaven and the celestial court that tests the souls of the newly-dead. David Niven is a fine choice to play the lead, a stiff-upper-lip wartime pilot who suffers a life-changing accident at the outset, while Kim Hunter is a good choice for the love interest. The real interest comes from the supporting cast, with an unrecognisable Marius Goring quite hilarious as 'Conductor 71' and good old Roger Livesey (Colonel Blimp himself!) excellent as the sympathetic doctor investigating Niven's case. Films with this subject matter tend to fall into the twee and sentimental trap, but A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH avoids that and remains a moving and engaging experience.

Dex Bracewell What have I learned from the first semester of my course? This type of film by Powell & Pressburger is better for entertainment value than trying to do a film studies essay out of it, especially when concerning Language & Style (never again!), although this film would have been better than Peeping Tom which I chosen as I ended up details as small as pencils dropping from a height which wasn't worth it, and Black Narcissus, which I didn't choose as I felt too confused by the plot, so much so that I didn't use it as research for the final essay. Long sentences was another one of those reasons I failed by the way. Ah well! A nice film for a lazy day, with a brilliant ironically used aesthetic (B&W used in heaven) and charming actors and script. The court scene did drag a bit until the very end but moving it a bit but a lot of the film is pretty much flawless. As much as I could accidentally be considered a communist, as I prefer the Directors Cut ending of Little Shop of Horrors (1986), I'm glad that there was a happy ending, which would have been much needed after the end of the war, also he would have survived in a "miracle", hence why he's alive even though he must got injured, if not found until later. Nicely done, chaps!

avik-basu1889 'A Matter of Life and Death' is the 3rd Powell-Pressburger film that I have seen after 'Black Narcissus' and 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'. It is again a fantastic film which blends elements of fantasy, social commentary and romance in the most enigmatic way and gave me further evidence as to why this filmmaking duo is so universally respected and needless to say that I loved the film.While watching the film, I think it is impossible to not think about 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Similar to those this film uses fantasy elements in abundance which makes it feel like a fairy tale and its tone also like them has a constant innocence and charm that is impossible to avoid. Pressburger's script uses elements of fantasy to infuse a sense of optimism for the viewers at the time of its release which was 1946 when Britain and the rest of the world was still recovering from the devastating consequences of WW2. In this sense I find a thematic similarity between this film and Kurosawa's 'Rashomon'. Although Rashomon's plot and Kurosawa's style was gritty and serious while Powell's direction and Pressburger's script is enveloped in fantasy and charm, but the message in both the films in the end was to make the viewer believe in the salient aspects of humanity and especially in case of 'A Matter of Life and Death' Pressburger advocates the power of love to survive and forget the past in times of great distress after the war. I interpreted this film to be about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD and this film shows how the trauma of war though capable of driving someone insane, can still be overcome by loving someone else and getting loved in return. Like 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', this film also has a pro-British nationalistic subtext. The tension between USA and Britain is a big issue which gets dealt with in the latter portion of the film and this is the only aspect that I didn't completely love. I understand what the filmmakers were trying which was to give hope for better relations in the future between these two nations and also to advocate the shelving of past prejudices against England, but it felt a bit too on the nose and I thought the treatment was a bit too overt. The England/USA aspect had already been commented upon in a subtle way in the rest of the film through the love between June, the American woman and Peter, the Englishman. Michael Powell's direction is again fantastic. The film has humanism written all over it. It looks beautiful like the other Powell- Pressburger films that I have seen. The vibrant colours and the awe- inspiring shots contrast the fantasy of the 'other world' with the reality of this world. The camera movements, the high- concept visual imagery, the editing, the special effects and all the technical aspects of the film are pretty much flawless.Another flawless aspect of the film is the acting from each and everyone. David Niven is charming to the fullest with his smart line delivery, Kim Hunter makes it impossible to make the viewer not fall in love with her character due to the sheer cuteness and adorableness that she exudes on screen. Roger Livesey who was brilliant as the figurative Colonel Blimp comes back and again delivers a confident, assured performance adding gravitas and weight to each line and each scene he is a part of. Lastly I have to mention Marius Goring who plays the colourful character of Conductor 71. He is devilishly funny, incredibly flamboyant, very likable and I couldn't take my eyes off him when on screen.So 'A Matter of Life and Death' is another great film that I have become familiar with from Powell-Pressburger's oeuvre. Although this film charmed me to the fullest and really impressed me, I still think 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' is my favourite Powell- Pressburger film as of now. But that can easily change once I watch 'The Red Shoes'.