The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Directed by Victor Sjöström. With Victor Sjöström, Hilda Borgström, Tore Svennberg, Astrid Holm. On New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.

The Phantom Carriage (Swedish: Körkarlen, literally "The Wagoner") is a 1921 Swedish film generally considered to be one of the central works in the history of Swedish cinema. Released on New Year's Day 1921, it was directed by and starred Victor Sjöström, alongside Hilda Borgstr

Directed by and Starring Victor Sjostrom, this 1921 Swedish film is a true classic of silent cinema. It's New Year's Eve and Salvation Army Sister Edit.

The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. The story, based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, concerns an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Sjöström himself) who is shown the error of his ways, and the pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister who believes in his redemption. This extraordinarily rich and innovative silent classic (which inspired Ingmar Bergman to make movies) is a Dickensian ghost story and a deeply moving morality tale, as well as a showcase for groundbreaking special effects.

David Holm (Victor Sjostrom) is the abusive husband who finds his wife (Hilda Borgstrom) has left him after he is released from prison. He vows vengeance for her abandonment in his hour of need. The couple is reunited in a Salvation Army mission where David convinces his estranged wife to reconcile their differences. Edith Larssen (Astrid Holm) aids in bringing the troubled couple together. A year later, David has regressed to his alcoholic ways and sees the messenger of death in a harrowing dream. He rushes to save his wife from suicide as she contemplate the murder of the couple's children in this implausible melodrama.

Amazon.com: The Phantom Carriage (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]: Victor Sjöström, Hilda Borgström, Tore Svennberg, Astrid Holm, Concordia Selander, Lisa Lundholm, Tor Weijden, Arne Mattsson: Movies & TV

In this silent film, fear of a terrible curse prompts a dying man to try atoning for his sins.