Is it a spiritual fantasy or a psychological drama? It doesn't actually matter, just enjoy the ride.

Completely above reproach. Powell and Pressburger at their absolute finest. Kim Hunter is so beautiful that you can totally buy David Niven falling in love with just her voice

A good example of how a film can stand the test of time even when feeling dated, and how it's a good story, not top-notch cinematography which counts.

An epic Powell and Pressburger film released just after WWII. The techniques used were ahead of the time and the whole film is excellently put together, if a tad surreal.

An original story with some inventive and visually great scenes, but a bit uneven and much too sappy for my taste. The romance felt forced and unrealistic and I had a hard time caring for any of the characters. What was the deal with the trial scene being ridiculously US-centric?

opening scene is the bomb and david divine is niven.

Visually it's pretty wonderful, but unfortunately found the drama a bit stale and sappy, although the war-time subtext is interesting.

Quite the wonderful film and I thought it might've been a classic in my books due to a fantastic opening sequence. But in the end, the characters really aren't interesting enough to warrant seeing them debate such important themes. And I'm sorry, but the court-room scene is just as boring as hell (ha-ha.)

It's like a Wonderful Life but of lesser degree. It's very imaginative and very nice to look at. The trial scenes are the most arresting sequences. Love is life and what is life without love.

If It's a Wonderful Life were a bit psychedelic, it would look like this: a positive and lovely post-war film, Life and Death stands out for its brilliant imagery and its absorbing last minutes, where an impressive trial takes place.

Interesting ideas, but wasn't really up to the level that I expected. WHY WASN'T THERE A LAWYER-SOCRATES? The fantastical elements were interesting and unique, but didn't make the movie great.

Quintessentially English film (stiff upper lip, what ho!) about faith and reason, war and love. Wonderfully imaginative in almost all areas, with a great script that manages to mix some fairly weighty issues with a sense of lightness and humour. Some may find the romance a little contrived, but Kim Hunter's sympathetic performance ensures the film doesn't get bogged down with sentimentality.

I bought into the romance and the (melo)drama. The trial was pretty brutal, though, as was the "comedic" supporting character.

Impossibly graceful and beautiful. I think this features some of the best Technicolor visuals that I've ever seen. And the interplay between the characters is really fun to watch. It's got a good balance of wit and heart. The parts dealing with English-American relations feel shoehorned in, but it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story that much.

# 134

Another strong film from Powell & Pressburger opens with a fantastic scene between Niven and Hunter--written without condescension and edited briskly. The rest of the film builds from there. The vivid color photography of earth alternates with the soft black and white of the heavens, creating a clear preference for life over death. The conclusion isn't as profound as it probably should be, considering the subject matter, but all in all a very well done film.

One of the best Powell and Pressburger films. The use of both technicolour and Black and White photography is ingenious and expertly done, creating beautiful images and setting up a good contrast. The performances are all excellent as well, from Niven's befuddled pilot to Goring's eccentric conductor and everyone in between. The real heart is the story, and except for a few small missteps it's incredibly charming and has that mix of dark comedy and romanticism that makes me love the archers.

138

126

A really very charming film, with great performances, story and expectant camerawork that's let down only by the trial itself, which is more than a little monotonous and dull. Nevertheless, it's incredibly life-affirming, and has one of the sweetest endings ever.

Sappier than probably anything P&P ever made together. Almost Frank-Capra-sappy. Also, David Niven is a glaring miscast, very noticeably ten years older than the character he plays, and extremely limited in the breadth of his emoting. He looks more like a stuck-up waiter from a fancy restaurant than a lovestruck young poet. Frankly the filmmakers are hardly capable of making a boring or bad movie, and this is no exception, but it is just not on par with their other films of the period.

"A film of its time but with Universal appeal."