Overview
A love that transcends life and death unfolds in a surreal court case.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- tender
- whimsical
- classic cinema night
- romantic evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a definitive fantasy classic, praising its adult wit, emotional charm, visual virtuosity, and imaginative treatment of love and mortality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Peter's disputed death leads to formal negotiations and a heavenly tribunal overseen by Conductor 71.
Earthly scenes use Technicolor while the heavenly regions are presented in sepia, making metaphysical difference tangible.
Peter and June's sudden wartime bond motivates his demand for a second chance before heaven's court.
The film appeared immediately after World War II and uses loss, survival, and heavenly judgment to offer emotional reassurance.
Films like A Matter of Life and Death, and why
It's a Wonderful Life
romantic fantasy combining wartime loss, supernatural bureaucracy, visual invention, and consoling emotional stakes
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
whimsical afterlife premise, romantic devotion, comedy, and an emotionally affirmative challenge to mortality
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
stylized fantasy romance balancing metaphysical questions, eccentric humor, and lavish visual design
The Enchanted Cottage
British wartime romance shaped by magical realism, heightened theatricality, and bittersweet emotional pressure
Movie Details
- Directors
- Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
- Release Date
- 1946-12-15
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (489)
Cast
- David Niven
- Kim Hunter
- Roger Livesey
- Marius Goring
- Robert Coote
- Kathleen Byron
- Richard Attenborough
- Bonar Colleano
- Joan Maude
- Robert Atkins
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Artiflix
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Matter of Life and Death about?
- A doomed wartime pilot is granted a heavenly trial after falling in love on Earth and refuses to surrender the life fate mistakenly took from him.
- What is A Matter of Life and Death like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Matter of Life and Death as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Matter of Life and Death violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Matter of Life and Death as mild.
- What did critics think of A Matter of Life and Death?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a definitive fantasy classic, praising its adult wit, emotional charm, visual virtuosity, and imaginative treatment of love and mortality.
- Which films are like A Matter of Life and Death?
- Films with a similar feel include It's a Wonderful Life, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and The Enchanted Cottage.
- How long is A Matter of Life and Death?
- A Matter of Life and Death runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Matter of Life and Death?
- In United States, A Matter of Life and Death streams on Artiflix.
