Movie Review: The Phantom Carriage (1921)

The Phantom Carriage (1921) directed by Victor Sjostrom

I saw a review of this movie on Happy Catholic* which made me want to see it...

The titular carriage is a conveyance for the recently deceased. It is not driven by Death himself but by the last person to die on New Year's Eve. That person is condemned to a year of traveling about collecting the dead. This legend is told to David Holm (Victor Sjostrom) by his drinking mentor Georges (Tore Svennberg). At least, it was told to him a year before, on a New Year's Eve that saw Georges panicked about his death while Holm argued over cards with his other drinking buddies. Georges has become the carriage driver. His last duty after a year is to pick up Holm, who has died hanging out in a graveyard with those same drinking buddies. Holm is forced to confront the sins of his life. If the drinking wasn't enough, Holm has a wife and two children to whom he has been abusive, though occasionally neglectful. He's also been rude to a Salvation Army nurse (Astrid Holm) who has tried to set Holm on the right path more than once. 

The story is told with lots of flashbacks that fill in Holm's character and build up the drama and tragedy of the situation. His eyes are opened to his awfulness and his call to redemption is authentic and moving. The actors give great performances that ground the fantastic elements. The film is not shy about showing ugly moments in Holm's life which makes the ending all the more satisfying.  

The movie is a silent film and yet the special effects are convincingly rendered even watching a hundred years later. Holm's soul gets up from the same spot where his dead body is lying. The transparency of the ghosts looks great and they keep the eyelines with the living characters. The film is technically amazing. The orchestral score by Matti Bye underlines the wide range of emotional moments in the film well. 

Highly recommended--a technical and artistic achievement!