A Life in Death

A Matter of Life and Death is a 1946 British fantasy romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Set in England during World War II, the film stars David Niven, Roger Livesey, Raymond Massey, Kim Hunter and Marius Goring. The film was originally released in the United States under the title Stairway to Heaven, which derived from the film's most prominent special effect: a broad escalator linking Earth to the afterlife. In 1999, A Matter of Life and Death was placed 20th on the British Film Institute's list of Best 100 British films. It ranked 90th in The Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2012 poll, regarded by some as the most authoritative in the world, and 78th in 2022.