This Gem of a Movie About an Airman’s Brush with Death Holds Up 80 Years Later

For lovers of old movies, “A Matter of Life and Death” -- a romantic fantasy centered around a British airman during World War II -- comes straight out of the Golden Era of Hollywood but with themes that resonate today. Think “Inception” meets “Masters of the Air,” and that’s what you’re likely to find in this 1946 gem that ranked No. 20 among the BBC’s top 100 British films of the 20th century.

Starring British army veteran David Niven (“The Pink Panther”), “A Matter of Life and Death” envelops the viewer in a picturesque journey between two worlds -- reality and the afterlife -- amid an unconventional, engaging love story. Toying with the notion that the main characters’ experiences are a dream, the film blends science fiction, romance and even time travel.

The plot alternates between our world and the next, where we do not exactly know whether the main character, British Royal Air Force pilot Peter Carter (Niven), is alive, dead or just imagining things. The film starts with Peter speaking to June (Kim Hunter, “A Streetcar Named Desire”), a U.S. Army Air Corps radio operator, as his Lancaster bomber goes up in flames over the English Channel. After confessing his love for her, he bails out of his plane without his parachute. 

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On the beach, Peter doesn’t quite know whether he is dreaming or in heaven. When he speaks with June after she approaches him on her bicycle, is that actually happening? During this point in the 1-hour, 44-minute movie, it cuts to black and white in the afterlife as pilots are being processed in a sci-fi, art deco “heaven.”

Peter and June begin their romance while he is noticeably missing from the afterlife. Dispatched to bring Peter to his rightful place, Conductor 71 (Marius Goring, “Exodus”) -- a Frenchman of high refinement -- arrives on Earth while Peter and June are on a date in a picturesque rose garden. After Peter expresses his desire to continue with his life, Conductor 71 returns to “heaven” with the request, and when it is granted, a “heavenly” trial ensues.

In reality, Peter is suffering from a concussion and inflammation surrounding his brain and spinal cord, likely causing his hallucinations. As Peter undergoes surgery, the trial commences as Dr. Frank Reeves (Roger Livesey, “I Know Where I’m Going!”), the counsel for Peter, and Abraham Farlan (Raymond Massey, “How the West Was Won”), the prosecutor, argue the veracity of his love for June, which, if true, would allow him to stay on Earth.

“A Matter of Life and Death” touches on man’s quest for meaning on this planet, especially during times of war, grief and death. I rewatched it recently and was awestruck by how a film released nearly 80 years ago holds up. It bears a striking resemblance to “Inception,”  the 2010 movie from Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”). Just like ideas shift between Peter’s dreamlike state and reality as he goes between heaven and Earth, “Inception” involves a similar premise through its reliance on dream-sharing technology. Both films’ central conflict occurs in the dream space, where the main characters must win to experience the love they have waiting for them in the real world.

Both movies involve time in one dimension being different from elapsed time in another realm. Whereas time freezes in “A Matter of Life and Death” whenever someone from the afterlife visits Peter, “Inception” involves time manipulation in dream states, with each layer of the dream running significantly faster than the previous one. 

As characters in “A Matter of Life and Death” and “Inception” struggle with discerning reality, each film raises questions about life’s meaning and what we experience. At their conclusions, both movies leave room for interpretation whether it was all just a dream.

Besides showing pilots serving in England during World War II and the wartime camaraderie, “A Matter of Life and Death” -- which received a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes -- also bears some similarity to “Masters of the Air,” the nine-part series from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg that aired on Apple TV+ in 2024. Both involve air crews bailing out of burning, ill-fated aircraft after bombing missions and dealing with the randomness of death during war, highlighting its psychological and moral cost.

Near the end of “A Matter of Life and Death,” Peter comes out of surgery and the celestial court rules that he truly loves June, granting them a reprieve. As an entourage of spiritual beings ascends back up a great stairway into the shadows of the afterlife, the audience is left to reconsider the purpose of life and the importance of making the most of second chances. “A Matter of Life and Death” tells a story through a beautiful cinematic lens with excellent special effects and top-notch acting.

You can watch “A Matter of Life and Death” for free on Sling TV, JustWatch and YouTube (albeit with a premium subscription). 

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