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IMDb > A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
A Matter of Life and Death
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A Matter of Life and Death (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   5,525 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Michael Powell (written by) and
Emeric Pressburger (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Stairway to Heaven on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
March 1947 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War more
Tagline:
Neither Heaven nor Earth could keep them apart! more
Plot:
A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
The Films Of Michael Powell
 (From The AV Club. 13 January 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)

The Films Of Michael Powell
 (From The AV Club. 13 January 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Beautiful more

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Stairway to Heaven (USA)
more
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 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (1995) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #11724) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | UK:U (video rating) (1995) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Ireland:G
Company:
Archers, The more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
For the table tennis scene, Kim Hunter and Roger Livesey were trained by Alan Brooke, the British champion who played many games with International Champion Victor Barna. During a visit to Denham Studios the two champions played a couple of games before an admiring audience of artists and technicians. For luck, Hunter borrowed one of Brooke's tournament bats for her film game. more
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. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: This is the universe. Big, isn't it.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The Colour Merchant (1998) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Scherzo more

FAQ

Did it really happen?
Did they use CGI?
more
39 out of 42 people found the following comment useful:-
Beautiful, 20 October 2001
10/10

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.

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