A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "A Matter of Life and Death"


In 1946, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger continued their impressive streak of great films in the 1940s with "A Matter of Life and Death." Although it was not the first technicolor film they would make together (1943's "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" being the sole technicolor collaboration between the two), many praised "A Matter of Life and Death" for its glorious and starkly beautiful technicolor visuals. 

The story centers on a British airman who cheats death by surviving a fighter crash he was supposed to die in. While living out his remaining 'borrowed' time, he pleads with a figure from the afterlife to allow him to remain on Earth, as he has just fallen in love with an American servicewoman. 

Although I was a bit bored by the story, I found the visuals to be incredible, especially the scenes involving the 'afterlife.' I know this film has an enormous reputation, but I was a bit bored by it. I have been feeling a bit tired of the films I've been watching lately and perhaps I was a bit biased. But this film did nothing to pull me out of this film fatigue I've been having. I just found some of the story elements a bit silly or a bit trite. 

However, I do recognize the objective quality of the film, like its visual elements. I also recognize its thematic point in the grand scheme of British culture at the time. Although the man is arguing the case for his own life, the trial discussions center primarily around British's place in the new post-war order. I recognize the importance of the film in this context and feel as though the film's place in history is warranted. 



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