A Matter of Life and Death Movie Review

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

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Written by: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger    
Starring: David Niven, Roger Livesey, Raymond Massey, Kim Hunter, Marius Goring
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A World War II British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.

Verdict
It's a bit dated and sappy, but that doesn't lessen the saccharine message that love trumps all. It's because this is a nearly 80 year old movie that the quaintness of the story isn't off-putting; it's very impressive. Taking into account the age, this had to be a stunning movie at the time. Cinema has had a lot of years to outdo this movie, and the story alone is difficult to beat. While the rest of the movie feels old, it doesn't feel as old as its age. While I think the age will put off a lot of people, it's still very earnest.
It depends.

Review
British pilot Peter's (David Niven) plane is going down. He's ordered all his crew to escape, but there are no parachutes left. He contacts American radio operator June (Kim Hunter). Considering the circumstances they have a lot of time to talk, and he's quite verbose. Peter and June seem to be falling in love despite having just met and only on the radio. It's a bit much, but it serves the rest of the plot.

David Niven, Roger Livesey, Kim Hunter play Peter, Frank, June

Peter's plane goes down and he wakes up on the beach. We and he wonder if he survived or not. Somehow Peter manages to cheat death and survive. That's when we cut to Heaven, and they're looking for a missing person. For some reason they can't take him after the fact, complicated because he's fallen in love. It seems flimsy as Peter isn't the first person to fall in love and perish prematurely.

I can't watch a movie about cheating death without thinking about The Seventh Seal. I couldn't believe that came out eleven years after this one. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey references both movies. In Bill & Ted the director and star of this film are statues on the stairway to heaven.

The cosmic court

Peter cheated death but has visions of his angel. His doctor Frank (Roger Livesey) and girlfriend think he has a brain injury. It's the only way they can explain the visions of Heaven and messengers that Peter describes. They placate him, feigning to believe what he sees. During the visions, Peter asks for an appeal on the basis of having fallen in love. He gets an appeal and has to choose someone to represent him in the trial. He can pick anyone in history, and Peter finally finds the right person and attends court in the cosmos.

To be a movie from 1946, this is impressive. The visuals and ideas are very cool. It comes down to arguing the power of love, the rules of the universe, and the strength of love.