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A Matter Of Life And Death [DVD] [1946]
 
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A Matter Of Life And Death [DVD] [1946]

DVD ~ David Niven
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
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Frequently Bought Together

A Matter Of Life And Death [DVD] [1946] + A Canterbury Tale [DVD] [1944] + I Know Where I'm Going [DVD] [1945]
Total RRP: £36.97
Price For All Three: £15.44

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Matter Of Life And Death [DVD] [1946]
82% buy the item featured on this page:
A Matter Of Life And Death [DVD] [1946] 4.7 out of 5 stars (32)
£9.28
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A Canterbury Tale [DVD] [1944]
4% buy
A Canterbury Tale [DVD] [1944] 4.7 out of 5 stars (21)
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I Know Where I'm Going [DVD] [1945]
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Product details

  • Actors: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote, Kathleen Byron, Richard Attenborough
  • Directors: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
  • Writers: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
  • Producers: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell, George R. Busby
  • Format: Full Screen, PAL
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: U
  • Studio: ITV DVD
  • DVD Release Date: 14 Sep 1998
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004CX5N
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,353 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in this category:

    #91 in  DVD > Classics > War and Westerns

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Briefed by the Ministry of Information to make a film that would foster Anglo-American relations in the post-war period, innovative filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, came up with A Matter Of Life And Death--an extravagant and extraordinary fantasy in which David Niven stars as a downed pilot who must justify his continuing existence to a heavenly panel of judges, because he has made the mistake of falling in love with an American girl (Kim Hunter) when he really should have been dead. National stereotypes are lampooned as the angelic judges squabble over his fate. In a neat reversal of expectations, the Heaven sequences are black and white, while Earth is seen in techni-colour. Daring cinematography mixes monochrome and colour, incorporates time-lapse images, and even toys with background 'time freezes' 50 years before "The Matrix". Roger Livesey and Raymond Massey lead the fine supporting cast, in what is one of the undoubted jewels of British cinema.

On the DVD: A Matter of Life and Death is presented in reasonably sharp 4:3 ratio with decent mono sound. Aside from English hard-of-hearing subtitles there are no extras. --Mark Walker



Special Features

4:3 Full Frame
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Mono English
Dolby Digital Mono
Behind The Scenes Commentary
Interactive Menu
Biographies
Scene Access
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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (28)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest British film ever made, 23 Jul 2009
By Fiction Fan (Madchester) - See all my reviews
For most of the past century, after a promising start, British film-making struggled (and failed) to match the achievement of Hollywood; with its vastly greater funding and world-wide appeal, but in the 1940's Michael Powell and his collaborator, Emeric Pressburger made a series of films, through their production company The Archers, to rival the best anywhere. A matter of life and death or AMOLAD as afficionados call it, is the best.
It was produced ostensibly as an Anglo-American propaganda exercise at a time of world war, but transcends the limitations of this magnificently. Due to a lack of available colour film stock the scenes set "on earth" were shot in colour and those "in the next world" were filmed in black and white; the reverse of what many would expect.
At one level it's a love story between David Niven's British airman, shot down over the channel, and Kim Hunter's American wireless operator, but it examines life and death, time and space, nationality and even the meaning of life itself in its own engaging way. I first saw the film as a schoolboy and still love it thirty odd years later. Simply magical.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Powell & Pressburgers Best Film., 24 Sep 2000
This review is from: A Matter Of Life And Death [VHS] [1946] (VHS Tape)
Written, prduced & directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger this film combines great charm and surrealism in this fantasy drama. Set in 1945 David Niven plays the best roll of his career, as Peter Carter a pilot who has to bale out of his crippled Lancaster Bomber without a parachute. Before baling out he makes radio contact with June (Kim Hunter) the last voice he expects to hear. In his last moments the couple who have never met form a bond. Miraculously he survives the fall, landing in the sea, being washed up on the beach close to where June lives. The couple meet and fall in love. Peter Carter should have died that night but due to a thick fog he was missed by his heavenly escort (Maurice Goring). Heaven must balance the books and Goring is sent to get him. Peter Carter is forced to appeal to a heavenly court for his right to live through his doctor friend (Roger Livesay). Both Goring & Livesay are superb. The special effects are brilliant for their day though at times the lack of them is rather quaint. For example when Maurice Goring announces that he has stopped time and 'everything is perfectly still' the rhodedendrums gently sway in the breeze next to his head. The use of both black & white, and Technicolor is imaginative and the heavinly scenes are quite surreal. The film can be viewed on different levels and it is not hard to see why a film made in 1946 so closely after World War 2 dealing with life, death and the after life should have been so popular. Firmly a product of its time this film in my opinion is one of the 20th century's best films and fully deserves a 5 star rating.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Still highly entertaining film., 19 May 2005
By dragondrums "dragondrums" (Ingleby Barwick, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
David Niven stars as Peter, a squadron leader during World War II whose plane is about to crash after being hit by the enemy. All of his crew are dead. The radio controller from the airbase is a young American, June, who tries to persuade Peter to bail out before it is too late. Peter intends to do that but unfortunately he has no parachute. Still, deciding it's a better way to die, he jumps.
No one is more surprised than him when he awakes on a beach having been washed ashore close to his airbase. He meets June and it's love at first sight. However, Peter wasn't supposed to survive the crash but the 'angel' sent to meet him got lost in the fog and missed the 'appointment'. Now this being wants Peter to give up life and return with him to heaven. Peter refuses on the basis of his love for June and decides to appeal against his fate, something that hasn't been seen before, and a trial in Heaven follows.
In a reversal from most films of this type, the scenes in Heaven are shot in black and white whilst the Earthly scenes are shot in wonderfully vivid colour. This is a film that has stood the test of time and is as good to watch today as it has ever been, proof that special effects and a frenetic pace do not beat a good, well acted story. Wonderful stuff.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Great film - as much science fiction as theologically entertaining. David Niven is at his humourous and flummoxed best, making us question as to if he is mad, or he really is... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Doesitsaycolonel

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic special effects
The first Royal Command performance after the war saw a great cast paired with a wonderfully playful and inventive plot and what were, for the time, some really special effects... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Robin A. Marshall

1.0 out of 5 stars A weak and silly film that should never have been resurrected
This truly awful film should never have been resurrected, but should have been left in the decent obscurity it richly deserves. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Triestino

2.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment..
While some of the acting in "Black Narcissus" was dated, indeed, it otherwise was and is a gorgeous film. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Klaus Seigel

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating movie!

This film has a fabulous opening sequence, and a lovely opening scene featuring David Niven as 'Peter Carter' and Kim Hunter as 'June'. Read more
Published 13 months ago by FAMOUS NAME

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical, moving and visually stunning
You may have seen a famous clip from this film, with a giant moving staircase leading up to heaven past monolithic statues. Read more
Published 18 months ago by R. Talibart

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Powell & Pressburger war time fantasy
This 1946 film should appeal to all generations and almost everyone. One of my all time favourite oldies, for some reason, especially bearing in mind the brilliant special... Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. J. HORN

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly the best film ever made
powell and pressburger are the two finest film makers ever to grace us with their talent. any one of their films would in impress in any number of ways. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Alister King

5.0 out of 5 stars A Matter of Life and Death
Another great movie from Powell and Pressburger this came out 30th December 1946 and over 60 years later is still loved. Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2007 by T. Jarvis

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
What imagination and vision.

I won't waffle on.

Just see it.
Published on 16 Jul 2007 by andythebrave

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