A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

[Akijama]

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

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’s just delivered his dying wishes and, face-to-face on a tranquil English beach, the pair fall in love. When a messenger from the afterlife arrives to correct the clerical error that spared his life, Peter must mount a fierce defense for his right to stay on earth—painted by production designer Alfred Junge and cinematographer Jack Cardiff as a rich Technicolor Eden—climbing a wide staircase to stand trial in a starkly beautiful, black-and-white modernist heaven. Peppered by humorous jabs intended to smooth tensions between the wartime allies Britain and America, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s richly humanistic A Matter of Life and Death traverses time and space to make a case for the transcendent value of love.

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentary from 2009 featuring film scholar Ian Christie
• New interview with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, director Michael Powell’s widow
• New interview with film historian Craig Barron on the film’s visual effects and production design
• Interview from 2009 with filmmaker Martin Scorsese
• The Colour Merchant, a 1998 short film by Craig McCall featuring cinematographer Jack Cardiff
• PLUS: An essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Criterion just dropped the clue for AMODaL on Twitter. Expect the official announement real soon...

https://twitter.com/Criterion/status/985967762668335104

Definitely my favorite Archers film. Can't wait to finally own a restored version on Blu-ray.

[sminister]

I've been waiting for this day for a long time. great news!

[Akijama]

https://www.criterion.com/films/2883...life-and-death

[Arch Stanton]

Amazing news.

[RiFiFi1955]

One of my favorite films of all time! Fantastic news!

[Ruemorgue10]

Absolutely wonderful news!

[Doctor Jack]

Can it be July already?

[Namuhana]

I haven't seen this yet, but I've loved all of the Archers films I've seen, so I'm pretty excited about it.

[xxnomad]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

I haven't seen this yet, but I've loved all of the Archers films I've seen, so I'm pretty excited about it.

You are in for a treat.

[Jexes23]

Have not seen, but this ones in my wheelhouse. I like Black Narcissus and still need to watch The Red Shoes.

[Archedamian]

I absolutely love the Powell and Pressburger films that I have seen (The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, Colonel Blimp) and so I am super pumped to see this one!

[Scottie]

pre-order

[JackLordsHair]

Holy **** truly wasn't sure this would ever get a blu release wow ! A truly fantastic, dare I say EPIC, movie !!! This will be a day one buy for me for sure !!!

[Sifox211]

I love the cover - really ties in with the start of the film!

[dougotte]

I've never seen this one, but love The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, and especially The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. I've read so much praise about A Matter, that I've preordered it.

[klauswhereareyou]

I remember reading a Roger Ebert review of this from his Great Movies series and never was able to find it back in the day. I think I might pick this up since it sounded like an interesting film.

[javi92]

Can't freakin' wait for this one!

[peschi]

Its my goto movie whenever I feel down, and one of my favorite Archers. Seen it so many times. Hope the transfer is better then the french bluray.

[Timewaster]

I also have the French bluray. It was the first P&P film I ever watched as a kid and I never forgot it. Its quite amazing and Niven is superb. Not sure if it's still my favourite but I'm sorely tempted to get it again. If we could just get IKWIG on bluray now ...