it be no surprise that writer or director michael powell consider a matter of life and death and his and emeric pressburger spellbind fantasy from 1946 to be his favourite of their film together . release during the aftermath of world war 2 and this colourful romantic adventure would have provide just the tonic for a traumatised and recover nation in need of a good uplift . follow a string of other patriotic war film and the archer make this one their quirkiest and skittish and most patriotic of the lot . quintessentially british for uphold british heritage ( shakespeare and beer and fair play and good manner ) and it be also visibly americanise in it baroque composition and technical inventiveness and a fine multi ethnic cast . oddly echo another 1946 classic and it a wonderful life and amolad open on a grand firmament and with one of those jolly voice over preach about the earth and the heaven and and what a big and wonderful world we live in . it then cut to the inside of a british cockpit and badly hit and up in flame and with the co pilot already dead . it sound misconceived and but the connection be soon make lucid with the event that follow . clocking in at nearly 5 minute and the rapid fire exchange between british pilot peter ( david niven ) and american radio contact june ( kim hunter ) be breathtaking in it intimacy . resign to die and peter nevertheless exhaust plenty of vigour and charm and outpouring confession and and his warm affiliation with june close with a mutual exchange of i love you . keep with the magic of the moment and peter and by oversight of his conductor 71 whose job it be to transport him to the other world and escape death and find himself strand on a beach . he later encounter june rid a bicycle and and instantly match the body with the voice . but realise their error and the high court want peter send back and and order the french conductor ( maurice goring ) down to earth to retrieve him . but peter be adamant to live because of june and the conductor mistake and and wilfully guard his corner . peter fate ultimately lie with the heavenly court and american prosecutor ( raymond massey ) and whose jury consist of several deceased war hero and posh british delegate . the surreal trial and which dissolve from b or w back into rich technicolor and once the verdict be announce and may well be a dream and but the final shot in the hospital validate the predictable outcome . the abstract and frame fill stairway to heaven ( the american title of the film ) be use twice represent the first time in b or w and when it elevate peter and his enigmatic french guardian upwards and cross giant statue of peter potential attorney for the trial and include abraham lincoln and plato . the second time and the softly light colour stairway provide the setting for what be an iconic image in cinema peter and june frozen side by side and their marvelled eye fix forward in the frame and their fate seal . the unlikely affection share between peter and june never turn mushy or verbose while it treat with nobility and the perception that the couple be already suitable enough to be marry and simply need to convince people of their love and so it can keep them together . the french conductor and who can freeze time and people body and obtrudes many of their key moment together and lecture peter about history and among his mischievous trick and pinch peter top 100 game trick book and his coffee cup . a visually inspire a other powell or pressburger collaboration and this be the first time they combine colour with b or w the latter have a cheerful quality when use for the heaven scene and and both be equally captivate . the outstanding script more than match the imaginative set design and with dialogue that sound so immediate that be doesn not feel like it be write or perform for the screen . amusing and witty and powell or pressburger write deserves equal acclamation with their forte for colour and composition . make in 1946 and a matter of life and death be one of those film that defy it age and look fresh and inventive and even in this age where cgi would vamp up it artificial effect and probably strip them of their emotional wonder . other jarring change would include the need for reduced average second for cut and the inevitable plea to shorten dialogue so it can preserve the low attention span of most audience . powell weave a spell that subconsciously absorb the viewer from the first frame and give him freedom to experiment with image without betray the logical development of peter predicament .