Posted on 02/05/2025 12:13:46 PM PST by simpson96
The crown jewel of British fantasy cinema, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death (released as "Stairway To Heaven" in America) impishly flips The Wizard of Oz’s spectacular move into colour for its fantasy sequences. Instead, it’s earth that’s in colour and the hereafter that’s shown in black and white. “One is starved for Technicolor up there,” says heavenly messenger Conductor 71 (Marius Goring), moving between worlds and breaking down the fourth wall with equal abandon.
Powell and Pressburger’s film takes the heavenly mix-up idea of Here Comes Mr. Jordan and runs with it. David Niven’s RAF pilot is supposed to die when his plane goes down in flames over the Channel in the film’s extraordinary opening moments. But Conductor 71 can’t find his body in the British fog to claim it, and meanwhile Peter has fallen in love with the American radio operator (Kim Hunter) who intercepted his SOS.
"Stairway To Heaven" 1946 [David Niven, fantasy film by Powell & Pressburger, full HD]
*ping*
It’s an unusually good film in the dilemma it places the protagonist in. And when you think of when it was made, it’s very poignant.
And a reminder to anyone who doesn’t know. David Niven, he was a British Commando officer in WWII.
The day after Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Niven returned home and rejoined the British Army. He was alone among British stars in Hollywood in doing so; the British Embassy advised most actors to stay in America.
He landed a few days after D-Day.
In another incident, asked by suspicious American sentries during the Battle of the Bulge who had won the World Series in 1943, he answered, “Haven’t the foggiest idea, but I did co-star with Ginger Rogers in Bachelor Mother!”
If you go looking for this film and can’t find it, try it’s other title, “a matter of life and death”.
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, along with cinematographer Jack Cardiff, made some of the most beautiful films ever made. Black Narcissus is also worth a watch.
Coincidentally i am out the door on my way for the premiere of “Becoming Led Zeppelin”
Thanks! Sounds delightful — and I’ve never seen it.
Watching “Day of the Jackal” right now. It’s probably been 30 years since I last saw that, maybe more.
What a coincidence! I’m going out to see “Becoming Neil Sedaka!”
I didn’t think Led Zeppelin had been around that long...
I really liked that movie. Give it a try.
This film has one of the greatest and most beautiful descriptions of America I have ever heard. It is a three minute speech, written by a pair of Englishmen, spoken by a Canadian actor, Raymond Massey, playing the spirit of a Revolutionary patriot.
save for future reference
The beginning had me wondering, but it certainly captured my attention.
I've never watched a movie of this length on my desktop before.
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