I saw a commercial for it after watching To Have and Have Not, and it looked like a long episode of the Twilight Zone. It’s name is A Matter of Life and Death, aka Stairway to Heaven. Turner Classic Movie’s website describes it:
I’m a sucker for fantasy court room dramas, so seeing a nineteench century man standing on a stairway leading into the sky while looking at a bunch of British redcoats standing around really grabbed my eye. Hopefully I’ll get out of work soon enough to catch it at 8:00pm. Anyone else interested?
MoL&D is part of the Michael Powell series, the genius director who (usually in collaboration with Emeric Pressburger) created some of the most amazing films of the 40s. There’s only one Sunday in September left (that’s when they’re showcasing Powell), and that day will be showing the extremely disturbing Peeping Tom as well as the fantastic Red Shoes.
Though Matter is a lot of fun, I still prefer Black Narcissus, The Thief of Bagdad, I Know Where I’m Going! and The Life and Death of Col. Blimp better (along with Shoes). Blimp in particular is truly remarkable–quite possibly the best war film ever made.
But all of Powell is worth checking out (and there are several very good Criterion DVD releases of his films, several with commentaries by Martin Scorsese, whose regular editor–Thelma Schoonmaker–was Powell’s wife).
Unfortunately, I was only able to catch bits and peices of this movie, but I loved what I saw and am going to buy the DVD. It really is like a very long, and very, very good episode of the Twilight Zone. Wonderful dialogue, and interesting characters. Plenty of impassioned and well written speeches thrown around by historical and mythological/religous figures. The ending struck me as predictable, rushed, and shoe horned, but everything else was just capitole.
The story it’s based on doesn’t interest me as much. When trying to answer how the actual pilot survived I figure you’re either going to come to a dead end and shrug your shoulders, or be presented a huge explanation involving all kinds of physic and anatomy gabble-dee-gook.
One footnote I do find interesting was that this movie was made by the British in order to try and improve British and US relations after WWII.
I really think the average Doper would dig this movie. I’m dying to see it in its entirity
You might be thinking of the second guy mentioned here, Nick Alkemade. According to what I remember of a piece in Reader’s Digest (It was a doctor’s office, OK?), he fell in skydiver position and met a high wind blowing up the side of a mountain before going through the trees and snowdrifts. The commander of the nearby POW camp took him seriously enough to check the plane, and found the chute remains in the crawlspace just ahead of the tail turret (not in the cabin as the linked article says).
As I remember, the courtroom scene drags quite a bit as some then-topical but now-forgotten US/UK differences are argued. But this is a minor flaw in an overall wonderful movie.
A Matter of Life and Death is by far my favourite film of all time ever ever ever. Everything about it is beyond excellent. The soundtrack is weird and wonderful. The acting is both subtle and showboating. The direction is - well, it’s Michael Powell we’re talking about. It’s astonishing – it shows everything yet conceals everything as well. Pressburger’s screenplay is also wonderful, full of metaphysical conceits, humour, and quirkiness. The story is unashamedly romantic and funny and wonderful and good. The cinematography - again, it’s Jack Cardiff, it’s marvellous and beautiful.
As snorlax says, the courtroom scene is an oddity. They seem to forget about the whole conceit of the film (Peter fighting for his right to live) and start bandying about anti-English and anti-American nonsense. But it’s all done with such aplomb you can easily forgive it (if you’re me). Plus you get Raymond Massey, and he’s wonderful. His is my favourite character in the film after Marius Goring’s. I adore Conductor 71. He is kind of a stereotypical French fop, but he is also much much more than that. The whole film teems with subtle feelings and thoughts and philosophies and psychology. It’s a complete marvel.
Oh and the beginning is the best thing ever.
"This is the universe. Big, isn’t it?”