Right before the end of Second World War, British director Michael Powell and his longtime collaborator Emeric Pressburger took on a project which would encourage the new found alliance between US and Britain. The primary concern was to convince the audiences of both nations that friendship between upstart America and waning imperialist Britain is necessary and beneficial, despite earlier conflicts and tribulations. Nevertheless, the fable “A Matter of Life and Death” (1946) directed by the British film-making duos isn’t a insipid, brash propaganda flick, but rather arose to be a imaginative visual feast, which is still being loved and earning fresh audiences all over the universe. This quirky wartime film also marks the feature-film debut of legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff.
The film has an exciting opening sequence for its time,
where the camera tracks down through the universe (“This is the universe. Big,
isn't it?”) to show our planet spinning into view, and to the stricken fighter
plane of RAF pilot Peter Carter (David Niven). Apart from the fact that Peter’s
plane is shot down, his engineer Bob (Robert Coote) lays dead and their
parachutes are shredded. The other men of the crew have bailed out and Peter
tries to raise his command on the radio. But, he falls head over heals after
hearing the voice of young American radio operator June (Kim Hunter). He shares
his last moments with her and tears wells up inside June as he feel helpless in
the control tower. Even at the throes of death, Peter jokingly says, “I'll be a
ghost and come and see you”. June also tells that she would loved a man like
him.
After the emotional exchange, Peter jumps from his plane
without parachute and suddenly the images cuts over to black & white from
Technicolor as we see Bob waiting in some sort of huge terminal. Bob is waiting
for Peter, while the rest of crowd are signing up and receiving their wings. An
entire American crew shows us and they are elated to find a coke machine even
at ‘heaven’. Peter, presumed dead, however awaken on a British beach. He even
that he has reached heaven, but when he learns about his miraculous survival
from the jump, Peter immediately approaches June. They joyously embrace and an inconceivable
romance blooms. Unfortunately, the leaders of heaven looks into the error they
have made on Peter, and send an elegant French aristocrat Conductor 71
(Marius Goring) to interrupt the nighttime picnic of June and Peter.
The Conductor stops the time from moving and is visible only
to the eyes of Peter. He informs about Peter about the grave mistake and asks
him to join his comrades in heaven. Peter doesn’t relent, asking for an appeal
to the higher beings. He claims that he has found a love of lifetime in this
extra time. When Peter shares his experience with Conductor to June, she is
alarmed and seeks the advice of friend & doctor Reeves (Roger Livesay).
Meanwhile, Peter is overcome with headaches. He becomes obsessed and distraught
over what the decision of heaven would be. Dr. Reeves (an expert in neurology)
approaches Peter’s visions as hallucinations from his near-death experience and
diagnoses that only surgery could help Peter.
The greatness of “A Matter of Life and Death” is that it
doesn’t give us any definite answers about Peter’s hallucination or Reeves’ diagnosis.
It is left to us to decide on whether it is real or a brilliant figment of
imagination. Whatever one’s take on Peter’s visions might be, no one can deny
the visual treat the movie provides us with. Directors Powell and Pressburger
with the help of production designer Alfred Junge and cinematographer Jack
Cardiff have overturned our preconceived visions on how heaven would be. The
heaven, in the film is bathed in a steely monochrome and politically the place
looks like a huge, efficient bureaucracy. It is egalitarian, but still remains
segregated. Even the celestial beings desire for the gorgeous, ‘Technicolored’
Earth. The other great visual ideas includes: the convening of celestial court
inside a amphitheater than extends into infinity (resembling an eye of galaxy);
a giant marble staircase to heaven, which moves like an escalator and on the
one side of staircase, there are big statues of great men from Earth; Dr.
Reeves’ camera obscura to surveil the village; the shot from the inside of
Peter’s eyes, slowly closing as general anesthetic is applied.
Legendary Cinematographers Jack Cardiff (under the camera) and Geoffrey Unsworth (worked as camera operator for "A Matter of Life and Death" |
Apart from the stunning visual ideas, the script from Powell
and Pressburger is filled with infectious humor and inoffensive wit. The script
runs from being a romance to melodrama to a buddy movie and even a courtroom
drama. The stylized magnificence of Jack Cardiff guides us through sleight of
hand situations. The acting isn’t a bit tedious, considering the way we
generally see the performances of old actors. Kim Hunter and David Niven win
you over in the way they showcase their restrained emotions. Roger Livesay was
terrific as Reeves and some of his lines are the quotable ones: “A weak mind
isn’t strong enough to hurt itself. Stupidity has saved many a man from going
mad”.
If there’s a flaw in the storyline, it only shows itself in
the essential propaganda portions. In the dialogue-heavy, appeal scene,
prosecuting lawyer of heaven, Mr. Abraham Farlan argues that the Brits and
Americans are so different – have little in common – that such union could not
exist. Dr. Reeves of defense counsel cites the relative merits of such union.
The scene gradually disintegrates into abstract, loyal sermonizing. The speech
goes as far as to prove the audience (at the risk of losing its focus on
characters) that the Britain Empire isn’t an old relic and it’s not washed up.
However, the director duos at last come to the matter at hand, devising an
ultimate test for Peter and June to showcase their true love. It is a poignant
ending, the one which somehow makes us to overlook the earlier conspicuous
patriotic sermon.
“A Matter of Life and
Death” (104 minutes) is a genuine classic with a heartfelt story, innocuous
humor and beautiful imagery. If you are
movie-lover, then this film is the right place to start exploring the works of
Michael Powell and Jack Cardiff.
5 comments:
I saw this film with a different title.
Loved the French accent guy. Forgot his name.
Same storyline can be seen in a Shivaji and Rajani film.
The movie was released on title "Stairway to Heaven" in US. The French guy was played by Marius Goring, an English actor. He played an vital role in "Red Shoes" (1948) too. Yeah, the same story lines have been used in our film industry too, but they are loathsome remakes of this classic.
Can't complain about the remakes, cause that's how our film layout is. :-)
Back to this film, it had good sets or art direction and exceptional use of lights. Especially, the stairway scene and almost the entire heaven was serene.
I read that the celestial escalator took £3,000 to build in '45. Even if we don't like the storyline, it could be enjoyed especially for its art direction, editing, and photography.
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