The Powell & Pressburger Pages Dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and all the other people, both actors and technicians who helped them make those wonderful films. A lot of the documents have been sent to me or have come from other web sites. The name of the web site is given where known. If I have unintentionally included an image or document that is copyrighted or that I shouldn't have done then please email me and I'll remove it. I make no money from this site, it's purely for the love of the films. [Any comments are by me (Steve Crook) and other members of the email list]

Submitted by Mark Fuller

A Matter of Life and Death

By Fred Majdalany

From: Daily Mail
2 November 1946

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Even the eclectic, single imagination that trades under the names of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger hasn't been able to think of a better heaven than a mixture of super snack-bar, super night-club, with a dash of Hollywood Bowl.

     This heaven plays a big part in "A Matter of Life and Death", the latest offering of the two bright boys of the British Film industry.

     The action switches between this world (Technicolored) and the next (clinically Black and White).

     It could be called "Per Escalator Ad Astra" as the two worlds are linked by a fabulous moving staircase lined with the statues of the more eminent dead of the past 4,000 years.

     The acting of Raymond Massey, Roger Livesey, David Niven and Kim Hunter are uniformly excellent.

     But the film as a whole turns out to be an elaborate joke that doesn't quite come off.

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