Written, produced and directed by michael powell and emeric pressburger, the film stars david niven, roger livesey, raymond massey, kim hunter and marius goring. Stairway to heaven a matter of life and death movie. According to trade papers, the film was a notable box office attraction at british cinemas in 1947. A matter of life and death, a 1946 powell and pressburger film starring david niven. Overview of a matter of life and death, 1947, directed by michael powell, with david niven, kim hunter, robert coote, at turner classic movies.
A matter of life and death the criterion collection. The production of the lorimar mow a matter of life and death project was produced by the lorimar television division located on the culver citymgm film lot. But stairway to heaven may be a more expressive title, and certainly there is a stairway in the film, part of the incredible contribution of production. Huey mcevoys rating of the film a matter of life and death huey mcevoy the cutglass raf accents. Link to shot 4680 film director michael powell and soldiers chatting with actor david niven, who shows canadian womens army corps girls how to embrace and kiss. A matter of life and death 1946 is a romantic fantasy film set in world war ii by the british writerdirectorproducer team of michael powell and emeric pressburger, starring david niven.
Ambitious celestial animation and narration by john longden in this framing piece from michael powell and emeric pressburgers a matter of life and death, 1947, a. May 30, 2015 david niven wants another chance at love after he is misplaced on his way to heaven. A matter of life and death 1946 where to watch it streaming. A matter of life and death takes place a year before its release, in a world still at war, in a country steeling its mettle. To me a matter of life and death is just that simply the best film ever made. A matter of life and death is a 1946 british fantasyromance film written, produced and directed by michael powell. It was originally commissioned as one of the last films funded by the ministry of information with the intention of serving as an entertaining comedy about. He gets on the radio, and talks to june, a young americ. Free download of the old movie, a matter of life and death december 25, 1946. Shots of soldiers watching as performers act dressed in the 1700 era garb the film being shot is a matter of life and death. Do you live with the assurance that your sins are forgiven or do you feel a nagging sense of gods displeasure. We must understand the depth of our sinfulness before we can grasp the desperation of our need.
A matter of life and death 1946 black narcissus 1947 the red shoes 1948 under capricorn 1949 the african queen 1951 the barefoot contessa 1954 the vikings 1958 the girl on a motorcycle 1968 death on the nile 1978 the dogs of war 1981 ghost story 1981 the wicked lady 1983 the far pavilions 1984 mini tv series. Briefed by the ministry of information to make a film that would foster angloamerican relations in the postwar period, innovative filmmakers michael powell and emeric pressburger, came up with a matter of life and deathan extravagant and extraordinary fantasy in which david niven stars as a downed pilot who must justify his continuing. Kim hunter saw the restored version last fall at the museum of modern art in new york and remembered that, at the time, some great movie mogul insisted americans would never go see a film with death in the title so it. This is a question at the heart of powell and pressburgers classic, a matter of life and death. I pushed through the hundreds of protesters on the other side and sat down on the embankment, alone in the cover of. Matter of life and death, a 1947 movie clip this is. When a young airman miraculously survives bailing out of his aeroplane without a parachute, he falls in love with an american radio operator.
A matter of life and death an introduction to the death penalty for second level students amnesty international. With david niven, kim hunter, robert coote, kathleen byron. A matter of life and death is a 1946 british fantasyromance film set in england during the. The timing was fortuitous for the resulting film captured the. David niven, richard attenborough, marius goring, raymond massey, kim hunter, robert coote, kathleen byron, bonar colleano, joan maude, roger livesey, emeric pressburger, michael powell, a matter of life and death 1946 stairway to heaven a matter of. Among the curious but effective artistic choices in a matter of life and death was the decision to film the earthbound scenes in technicolor and the heaven sequences in blackandwhite. Begun towards the end of the war as a propaganda exercise to encourage angloamerican understanding, a matter of life and death 1946 follows young airman and wouldbe poet, peter carter, who. But a heavenly messenger has made a mistake, and the airman miraculously survives only to find that heaven doesnt give up so easily. A soldier survives a crash that should kill him, washes up on a beach and meets the last person he spoke to the on the radio. The 4k will debiut at this years london ff in november. Theyre exactly like they were on earth, with the same interests and opinions.
The film also works as a sly satire on angloamerican relations at the end of wwii. A matter of life and death zitima zois kai thanatou, a 1972 film by vagelis serdaris based on a crime novel by yannis maris. Retrovision theater presents a matter of life and death. The british title of this film was a matter of life and death, and when the americans retitled it stairway to heaven, powell wrote in his autobiography, he felt they had missed the point. A british wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court. Richard attenborough, david niven, kim hunter, kathleen byron when a young airman miraculously survives bailing out of his aeroplane without a parachute, he falls in love with an american radio operator. Moments in, our heads filled with galaxies, it cuts to an raf pilot in.
After two poorly received films, a canterbury tale 1944 and i know where im going. Life and death in a matter of life and death philip horne 8. Synopsis in the 1946 film a matter of life and death, david niven stars as raf bomber pilot peter carter. Recognizing this, alistair begg walks us through the nature, extent, and effects of sin. Dec 28, 2017 a matter of life and death takes place a year before its release, in a world still at war, in a country steeling its mettle. This wellregarded british romancedrama about a pilot appealing to heaven for a reprieve is dippy, daffy and overrated. With his crew either dead or parachuted out, his craft in flames and falling fast, carter bails out without a chute.
His miraculous survival allows him to pursue a fortuitous romance with. Stairway to heaven 1946 is one of the most audacious films ever made in its grandiose vision, and in the cozy english way its expressed. A matter of life and death is the fourteenth studio album by english heavy metal band iron maiden. A matter of life and death after miraculously surviving a jump from his burning plane, raf pilot peter carter david niven encounters the american radio operator kim hunter to whom he has just delivered his dying wishes, and, facetoface on a tranquil english beach, the pair fall in love. The mgm studios art department officesdrafting room facilities had been taken over by the lorimar production services division. Foreword scrolled up the screen at the start of the film.
Powell and pressburgers cosmic pageant a matter of life. A matter of life and death free romantic fantasy film created by the british writingdirectingproducing team of michael powell and emeric pressburger, and set in england during the second world war. Michael ellison met her in new york to talk about the revival of her husbands a matter of life and death stabbings in the dark peeping tom was the film that buried michael powells career. A matter of life and death released under the less metaphysical title stairway to heaven in the united states, was one of several films made by the archers that coalesced the elements of lavish budgets, technicolor, and fantasy, and, though an enchantingly light film on a superficial level, is one of the most metaphysically complex films ever. A matter of life and death yify movies torrent magnet with a matter of life and death yify subtitles synopsis info.
Stairway to heaven view the tcmdb entry for a matter of life and death 1947. It was released on 25 august 2006 in italy and finland, and 28 august worldwide, excluding the us, canada and japan on 5 september. The film was originally released in the united states under the title. Mark duguid this film is the subject of a bfi film classics book by ian christie. It carries the vague notions of a war film, its certainly a romance, and it revels in the throes of fantasy. Sony have completed a new 4k restoration of powell and pressburgers a matter fo life and death in association with park circus. Nov 10, 2017 the big short 6 jared vennetts pitch to front point partners jenga blocks scene duration. A matter of life and death 1946 movie stills and photos. Returning to england from a bombing run in may 1945, flyer peter carters plane is damaged and his parachute ripped to shreds. Watch and download a matter of life and death courtesy of jimbo. A matter of life and death 1947 the most elaborate fantasy film attempted by the british cinema since alexander kordas 1940 production of the thief of bagdad, a matter of life and death aka stairway to heaven, 1946 began production on the day that japan surrendered to general macarthur, bringing an end to the pacific campaign. A matter of life and death has a very high rotten tomatoes critics score of 97% and a high imdb audience rating of 8. A matter of life and death is the utterly unique, enduringly rich and strange romantic fantasia from michael powell and emeric. This was the first feature photographed by the great cinematographer jack cardiff, previously camera operator on powell and pressburgers the life and death of colonel blimp 1943.
Directed by michael powell, emeric pressburger starring. It was originally commissioned as one of the last films funded by the ministry of information with the intention of serving as an entertaining comedy about some of the baggage concerning angloamerican. Reedited versions of films already existing in the archives. If i were allowed just one film to keep and watch again a matter of life and death would be that film.
A matter of death and life, part two archive truth for. It seems to me that your first introduction to the work of the archers often ends up becoming a lifelong favourite. A matter of life and death, a 2007 stage adaptation of the 1946 film matter of life and death space. A matter of life and death an introduction to the death penalty for second level students amnesty.
But the officials in the other world realise their mistake, and despatch an angel to collect him. The film tries to have it both ways by suggesting that the heavenly scenes are all a product of carters imagination, but the audience knows better. The red shoes, the life and death of colonel blimp, a matter of life and death and black narcissus. Stairway to heaven a matter of life and death rotten tomatoes. It stars david niven, roger livesey, kim hunter, marius goring and raymond massey. David niven in a matter of life and death 1946 david niven and kim hunter in a matter of life. Powell and pressburgers cosmic pageant a matter of life and. In contrast, the bible teaches that we are condemned sinners in need of a savior. Mar 09, 2018 matter of life and death is planted in its era. This film raises plenty of interesting questions, but fails to deliver anything but frivolous answers. He has his crew bail out safely, but figures it is curtains for himself. On knowing and not knowing, going and not going, loving and not loving. David niven wants another chance at love after he is misplaced on his way to heaven.
But on the whole michael powell and emeric pressburgers film functions outside the typical confines that are put on film as a medium. Matter of life and death, a 1947 movie clip this is a. A matter of life and death 1946 the criterion collection. The movie, which is being revived at the music box in a restored technicolor print of dazzling beauty, joins the continuing retrospective at the film center of 15 other films by michael powell and emeric pressburger, the most talented british. A familiar belief, even within churches, suggests that we are basically good and will be saved by god. Stairway to heaven a matter of life and death 1947 rotten. Also known as stairway to heaven, a matter of life and death is the remarkable british fantasy film that became the surprise hit of 1946. It is stimulating, thought provoking, a mirror to the post war world and the. A matter of life and death 1946 emeric pressburger. A matter of life and death, was released in the us in 1947 under the title stairway to heaven, a title powell always disliked. Gallery of 24 movie poster and cover images for a matter of life and death 1946. In this way the film contrasts the energy and vitality of life and love with the slightly musty sterility of the next world as the gloriously camp conductor 71 marius goring puts it on his first arrival on earth, one is starved for technicolor up there.
Stairway to heaven a matter of life and death 1947. Dec 08, 2017 a matter of life and death is a visually extraordinary film. The big short 6 jared vennetts pitch to front point partners jenga blocks scene duration. A matter of life and death 1946 orphaned entertainment. Everyone at orphaned entertainment is on cloud 9 for this film. We go stand in a queue before being assigned a mundane job in heaven. Brightness and contrast adjusted soundtrack set to a decent level watermark garbage removed image sharpened. A matter of life and death is a rare picture in many ways.