This is one of my top two films without doubt. Curiously the other (The Devil and Daniel Webster) also features a jury of the dead: read into that what you will. It is brilliantly shot. The colour is vivid, lurid and generously used. The black and white in heaven is strikingly lit and shaded; the art deco feel of heaven is inspired. The shot of the heavenly receptionist framed by the shining clock is one of my favourite ever.Michael Powell is one of the greatest directors ever. Not a moment of celluloid is wasted, nor an opportunity missed. David Niven has his best role ever, Marius Goring as comic foil is wonderful, Roger Livesey is authoritarian... I could go on.The plot (without spoiling it) treads a very careful line between David Niven being a fugitive from the afterlife, and a man suffering hallucinations. So fine that on repeated watching, I still don't know which I think I am minded to favour. Finally, I am a big, ugly emotionless man, who has never shed a tear at a funeral in my life, but the first five minutes of this film when David Niven is still alive makes me cry without fail. Which has to be worth something.

What have I learned from the first semester of my course? This type of film by Powell & Pressburger is better for entertainment value than trying to do a film studies essay out of it, especially when concerning Language & Style (never again!), although this film would have been better than Peeping Tom which I chosen as I ended up details as small as pencils dropping from a height which wasn't worth it, and Black Narcissus, which I didn't choose as I felt too confused by the plot, so much so that I didn't use it as research for the final essay. Long sentences was another one of those reasons I failed by the way. Ah well! A nice film for a lazy day, with a brilliant ironically used aesthetic (B&W used in heaven) and charming actors and script. The court scene did drag a bit until the very end but moving it a bit but a lot of the film is pretty much flawless. As much as I could accidentally be considered a communist, as I prefer the Directors Cut ending of Little Shop of Horrors (1986), I'm glad that there was a happy ending, which would have been much needed after the end of the war, also he would have survived in a "miracle", hence why he's alive even though he must got injured, if not found until later. Nicely done, chaps!

'A Matter of Life and Death' is the 3rd Powell-Pressburger film that I have seen after 'Black Narcissus' and 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'. It is again a fantastic film which blends elements of fantasy, social commentary and romance in the most enigmatic way and gave me further evidence as to why this filmmaking duo is so universally respected and needless to say that I loved the film.While watching the film, I think it is impossible to not think about 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Similar to those this film uses fantasy elements in abundance which makes it feel like a fairy tale and its tone also like them has a constant innocence and charm that is impossible to avoid. Pressburger's script uses elements of fantasy to infuse a sense of optimism for the viewers at the time of its release which was 1946 when Britain and the rest of the world was still recovering from the devastating consequences of WW2. In this sense I find a thematic similarity between this film and Kurosawa's 'Rashomon'. Although Rashomon's plot and Kurosawa's style was gritty and serious while Powell's direction and Pressburger's script is enveloped in fantasy and charm, but the message in both the films in the end was to make the viewer believe in the salient aspects of humanity and especially in case of 'A Matter of Life and Death' Pressburger advocates the power of love to survive and forget the past in times of great distress after the war. I interpreted this film to be about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD and this film shows how the trauma of war though capable of driving someone insane, can still be overcome by loving someone else and getting loved in return. Like 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', this film also has a pro-British nationalistic subtext. The tension between USA and Britain is a big issue which gets dealt with in the latter portion of the film and this is the only aspect that I didn't completely love. I understand what the filmmakers were trying which was to give hope for better relations in the future between these two nations and also to advocate the shelving of past prejudices against England, but it felt a bit too on the nose and I thought the treatment was a bit too overt. The England/USA aspect had already been commented upon in a subtle way in the rest of the film through the love between June, the American woman and Peter, the Englishman. Michael Powell's direction is again fantastic. The film has humanism written all over it. It looks beautiful like the other Powell- Pressburger films that I have seen. The vibrant colours and the awe- inspiring shots contrast the fantasy of the 'other world' with the reality of this world. The camera movements, the high- concept visual imagery, the editing, the special effects and all the technical aspects of the film are pretty much flawless.Another flawless aspect of the film is the acting from each and everyone. David Niven is charming to the fullest with his smart line delivery, Kim Hunter makes it impossible to make the viewer not fall in love with her character due to the sheer cuteness and adorableness that she exudes on screen. Roger Livesey who was brilliant as the figurative Colonel Blimp comes back and again delivers a confident, assured performance adding gravitas and weight to each line and each scene he is a part of. Lastly I have to mention Marius Goring who plays the colourful character of Conductor 71. He is devilishly funny, incredibly flamboyant, very likable and I couldn't take my eyes off him when on screen.So 'A Matter of Life and Death' is another great film that I have become familiar with from Powell-Pressburger's oeuvre. Although this film charmed me to the fullest and really impressed me, I still think 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' is my favourite Powell- Pressburger film as of now. But that can easily change once I watch 'The Red Shoes'.

I've seen several of the Archers' movies, including most recently the delightful The Red Shoes. I've enjoyed most of them, although some more than others. The popularity and accolades for Stairway to Heaven, however, baffles me. I can understand the praise from critics, who often find merit in historical, technological, and professional importance, as they should. What I can't understand is the popularity among more typical moviegoers, including those at IMDb. Eight points plus? Really guys?Anyone watching a fantasy knows they have to suspend belief. But you still want the characters to reflect normal human emotions. The cheerfulness in which death is greeted in some scenes just defies the way most people react to the passing of both acquaintances and loved ones. As for the "it was a different time" counter-argument, the whole stiff-upper-lip, that's-a-good-chap, cheerio credo must've seemed rather tiresome to the British by 1945, who by then had been through two massive onslaughts of death and destruction within 30 years. In addition, the treatment of the US/UK love/hate theme is awfully heavy-handed. Again, I realize critics can point to 1945/1946 as crucial years in the trans-Atlantic relationship, and they find its importance in the film noteworthy. But some of the related dialog is out of place and does nothing to advance the story, similar to the preachy words of Lefty film makers.In all, a disappointment.