A Matter of Life and Death (1945 Powell & Pressburger)

Managed to watch most of AMOLAD as had a hankering for Powell's red.

I don't mean to imply any kinkiness on Powell's part but in visiting Taormina I was most surprised to see a familiar image by resident 1900s photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden, surely the shepherd boy scene is a reference?

 

Niven fresh from distinguished military service is in great form, Marius Goring enjoying role as Conductor:

"Pardon? 'Ad a few?"

Extraordinary lighting / camera positions (even more extraordinary when you consider it was Jack Cardiff's first film!), e.g. in opening scene, and where Livesey and Hunter are behind Niven in chair. The scene in which American soldiers are rehearsing Shakespeare is unforgettable (the vicar is Robert Atkins). Well, it all is.

The casting is perfection. Note Kathleen Byron with a perfect halo (frame) around her head.

Brilliant line: "Where's Frank?" "He's gone ahead." Brilliant. And "We'll invent the greatest lie in medical history".

In literature and language, colour, motion, emotion and humorous sensitivity there is more going on in any ten minutes of this film than in the whole of most others. It is quite literally out of this world.

5 August 2012.

Seen for the first time purely about Peter Carter's hallucinations it's enormously clever. Dead centre on the target. Plenty of lines that seem likely are Pressburger's. Every scene, every shot almost, is full of intelligence and interest.

15 August 2010.

Perhaps a perfect collaboration of artists. Edited by Reginald Mills.

The heavenly records office sure looks like a microchip.

18 December 2009.

Cardiff / Powell's red. Kim Hunter close ups. Joseph Zmigrod's piano. Roger Livesey the most reassuring doctor. A surgeon who is also in heaven (the judge, Abraham Sofaer, ends up in Head).

It's totally wonderful and without equal.

"Oh. I'd always hoped there'd be dogs!"