Peter Carter is a British pilot
who has effectively been shot down during a bombing raid over Germany. In the
last moments of his life as he crosses the English Channel alone (his plane on
fire and he without a working parachute), Peter contacts a flight tower to say
goodbye. On the other end of the radio is June, a young American woman. Though
there have never met and never will meet, Peter and June have a moment. Peter
decides to bail out rather than burn alive. Meanwhile in Heaven, another member
of Peter’s crew awaits his arrival. But Peter never shows. Miraculously, Peter
awakens on an English beach unharmed. Realizing where he is, Peter hurries to
intercept June on her way home. Dumbfounded by his survival, they both fall
into each other’s arms. However, there has been a mix-up in Heaven. Peter was supposed
to die; only his angel lost him in the heavy fog. However, now Peter has a new
reason to live. He is in love. Now, he must argue his case to stay on Earth,
alive. If he wins, he can stay on Earth a bit longer. If he loses, he must pass
on to Heaven where he rightfully belongs.
A Matter of Life and Death is one
of the Archers’ (Michael
Powell and Emeric
Pressbuger) greatest films. They worked with frequent collaborators composer
Allan Gray, cinematographer
Jack Cardiff,
and production designer Alfred Junge.
It stars David Niven and Kim Hunter (who
got an audition at the suggestion of Alfred
Hitchcock), with great supporting work from frequent Archers’ cast members Kathleen Byron, Roger Livesey, and
Marius Goring,
as well as supporting work from Raymond Massey.
The opening scene in A Matter of
Life and Death, featuring David Niven (as Peter) telling Kim Hunter (as June)
goodbye from his burning bomber, is one of the greatest in cinema history. That
scene alone is enough to make this film a classic, but the Archers do so much
more with the material. The film is shot in both Technicolor (for Earth) and
Black & White (for Heaven), and features wonderful production design. It explores
the power of love and the consequences of war (being released just after the
end of WWII). In many ways it is an anti-war film. It is a must-see for fans of
the Archers, as well as those interested in cinematography, production design,
and great classic films from the 1940s.
Trailer: Here
Available on: DVD
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