A Matter of Life and Death Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, July 22, 2018



So long, I am going down.

The folks that would tirelessly argue that some of the most beautiful films ever made were shot in Technicolor do so precisely because of masterpieces like Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's. The blending of striking artistry and spectacular colors such as the one that is on full display inis just too powerful and ensures a type of cinematic experience that is indeed very special.In the midst of WWII, British pilot Peter Carter (David Niven) gets his plane shot during a dangerous mission. As the plane begins burning, Carter is able to establish contact with June (Kim Hunter), an American radio dispatcher stationed in England. He reveals to her that even though he does not have a functional parachute he is going to eject himself so that he does not get fried, which prompts the deeply moved dispatcher to confess that she could have loved a hero like him. Her words have an equally profound effect on Carter, and before he jumps he casually declares that he has fallen in love with her. Not too long after that Carter wakes up on a beautiful beach, without a single wound on his body, and assumes that he has arrived in Heaven. After a quick exchange with a local boy, however, he realizes that he is still alive, and in fact not too far away from where June is stationed. Just like that the two then meet and, as they have wished, fall madly in love. But while enjoying each other's company the lovers are disrupted by a funny talking and quite extravagant Frenchman (Marius Goring) who reveals to Carter that he has been tasked to correct an error and reunite him with his fallen comrades in the Other World. At first Carter tries to convince himself that the Frenchman is only an eccentric joker having a bit of fun, but when his mind begins playing some quite odd tricks on him and exactly as the Frenchman predicts it would he becomes worried. Shortly after, he contacts Dr. Frank Reeves (Roger Livesey) to examine him and diagnose his condition.is a fantasy film for adults of the highest caliber. It effortlessly does what all great fantasy films do -- it temporarily transports its audience to an imaginary place and then while it lasts makes the impossible look possible. It is really this simple.Behind this simplicity, however, there is an incredible cinematic vision and understanding of how to create a film that essentially disables the mind's instinctive desire to either question or flat-out reject everything that it cannot instantly rationalize. Indeed, despite the abundance of fantasy material the film is so engaging and at the same time so indescribably beautiful that the mind is left with no other option but to accept its manufactured reality and then even become comfortable with it. Truly, there are not that many films that could pull off this trick.The film also has a spectacular sense of humor. Powell and Pressburger's script overflows with exceptionally well-timed hilarious remarks and equally effective flirty jabs that actually over time greatly enhance the images of the principal characters.Of course the genius of cinematographer Jack Cardiff is an essential element of the film's visual brilliance. The camera positioning, the particular lighting choices and their impact on color management and the appearance of Alfred Junge's fantastic set pieces, as well as the smart 'overlapping' of the time that the pilot is frequently pulled in and out of make viewing the film quite an extraordinary experience.