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David Niven tunes in to his radio romance |
Wings and prayers in moving wartime romance
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger
Certificate U
ACCORDING to legend, A Matter Of Life And Death is based on a story of a real-life RAF pilot who bailed out of a burning plane without a parachute and escaped with cuts and bruises.
Whether this is true or not, this film, released in 1946, had a hidden agenda. It was not just a piece of great escapism – its aim was to help shore up the foundations of the Anglo-American friendship, which was becoming increasingly strained.
Its overriding message was for individuals to cherish those human qualities of peace, love and dignity.
David Niven is Peter Carter, the RAF pilot who wakes up after falling from his burning plane without a scratch. He was supposed to die – and his absence at the gates of St Peter has led to administrative chaos upstairs.
You can imagine audiences in 1946 being only too aware of how the machinations of government can lead to personal despair.
It must have struck a chord among war-weary cinema-goers who had been kept in the awful suspense of waiting for a letter from a loved one serving overseas, or for a telegram saying they were no longer with us.
A court of heavenly jurors now must decide if Carter is allowed to stay on Earth and marry his American sweetheart (who he knows only as the voice over a radio link, and who he speaks to as his plane heads towards the ground), or succumb and go to heaven.
All this takes place while Carter is on an operating table, and there are clever questions thrown up as to whether this trial, this assessment of his life, is all part of his subconscious working out if he has lead a good life, or if it is really happening.
God, played by Abraham Sofaer, acts as judge while Carter’s best friend, who has died in the war, is his consul.
This marvellous piece of cinematography will have you shedding a tear. I can’t think of a nicer way to wile away a dark autumnal afternoon: take someone you care for, find a warm and comfy cinema, and soak up this horribly romantic and thoughtful film. |
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