The Phantom Carriage

(Körkarlen, Victor Sjöström, Sweden 1921, 93 min., 35mm, Swedish w/subtitles)

Tricks through Time. One of the towering achievements of silent cinema, Sjöström’s allegory is based on a Swedish legend that the last person to die each year must drive the chariot that collects the dead. When an inebriated brawler dies at midnight on New Year’s Eve, he is given the chance to review and correct his life’s errors. Shot entirely on elaborate studio sets, The Phantom Carriage features a poetic style of double exposures and superimpositions that blends with the universality of its theme. Live piano by Philip C. Carli. Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.