A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven in the US - why?) is one of my all time favourites. It was good to see it on DVD last night after years of watching it on a poor quality VHS tape recording. That is the reception was poor when I taped it, and there were commercials.

What I enjoy so much about this film, especially compared to many of today's "products" is the joy of it all, the wit, the experimentation, the look, the ideas. It is such a full movie that watching it last night for the first time in a couple of years, but probably for the 10th time or something, it was still new, fresh and utterly enjoyable. There are few films that reward repeated viewings. I cannot think of how many there are, but it must be about 20 or 30 for me. These films have the quailty of music. How often does one listen to a piece of music once? Why is that different to a film? This is a question I have asked myself many times and haven't really come to a conclusion. Haven't come close to a conclusion in fact.

I don't intend to critique this film as I find it impossible to write about something I know so well. It seems so self-evident that this is a masterpiece I feel I cannot construct an argument supporting it. If I can list some memorable images and things about the film:

- the Technicolor, or as the Conductor 71 says of heaven, "we are starved of Technicolor up there," though his lips say "colour" rather than "Technicolor" (nice bit of ADR!)
- the naked shepheard boy piping in the dunes - surreal allusion to arriving in heaven (from imdb - The US release was cut to avoid showing the naked shepherd boy in the sand dunes. Americans huh?)
- the 1946 special effects, especially walking through the door of the military hospital
- the fades from colour to black and white and vikky-verky
- the "stairway" music of the piano when Peter and June are waiting for Frank while the Midsummer Night's Dream is being rehearsed in the background. The music is obviously haunting Peter. Then the music being played on the 78rpm gramophone - what is that music?
- Dickie Attenborough's cameo, and the view looking up from the records department. Looks better than anything in Lord of the Rings.
- lots of other stuff.

Anyway, a wonderful, life-affirming, humorous and imaginative film.