The Phantom Carriage (1921)

I came for the special effects. I stayed for the gripping drama.

What made me want to watch this silent movie was that it was ahead of its time in using multiple superimpositions and double exposure to create ghostly effects. I was expecting a ghost story with lots of over-the-top horror. I didn't expect there to be multi-layered stories within stories, nonlinear timelines, and some of the most affecting, subtle acting I've seen in any movie. It was also Swedish which gave the story a different pace and feel.

On New Year’s Eve there is a legend that the last person to die in a year, if he is a great sinner, will have to drive the Phantom Carriage for a year,  picking up the souls of the dead. That's where the special effects come in. Most of the movie, though, tells us the story of David Holm who is a bitter and cruel drunkard continually in a loop of being both a victim and victimizer. A Salvation Army sister believes that he's got a kernel of goodness buried somewhere which can lead to his redemption and repeatedly tries to help him.

This is a really good drama, although the middle section was hard to  follow sometimes as the narrative switched between timelines without many title cards. By the end I was on the edge of my seat, horror-stricken by the possibilities being alluded to by something as simple as a glance, and by the end I was moved by genuine emotion.

And, I'll just say that there is not doubt that Stanley Kubrick was well acquainted with this film based on a very recognizable scene that we all know from one of his famous films. I'll let you experience the surprise for yourself when it turns up.