A Matter of Life and Death

In 1945, pilot Peter Carter (David Niven) jumps out of a burning plane without a parachute, readying himself for imminent death. But because the guide who was supposed to accompany him to the Other World gets lost in the thick English fog, Peter continues his earthly existence. He romances American radio operator June (Kim Hunter) and, after asking for an appeal, prepares to plead his case – after all, he survived and avoided the black and white afterlife through no fault of his own.

This seemingly absurd starting point gives way to the most wonderful, adult wartime fairytale that the Archers ever created. Thoroughly romantic, placing feeling above reason, and immersing the viewer in a fantasy world, A Matter of Life and Death is a poetic, impassioned defence of a simple truth: love can overcome all odds. Jack Cardiff’s visual spectacle is accompanied by geopolitical dilemmas: in the post-war reality, will the US and the UK remain friends?

Sebastian Smoliński

4K restoration from 2017.