Header image  
World Films Collection  
 
    home 
 

The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen): KTL Edition

 

 

Written and Directed by Victor Sjöström


Sweden 1920 / Fantasy / Heaven-Can-Wait Fantasies / Family Drama / 106 min / Black & White / Dolby  2.0 /1.33: 1  Original Aspect Ratio / PAL / Silent with Optional 2007 Score by KTL



Astrid Holm, Olaf Aas, Victor Sjostrom, Tore Svenberg, Nils Arehn, Charles Magnusson, Concordia Selander, Tor Weijden, Hilda Borgstrom, Lisa Lundholm.

Also known as Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness, The Phantom Chariot was the most famous of Swedish director Victor Sjöstrom's pre-Hollywood films. Based on a novel by Selma Lagerlöf, the film is predicated on an ancient Scandanavian legend. It is said that each year, on St. Sylvester's Night (New Year's Eve), a phantom chariot materializes to carry off the souls of those who have sinned. On one such occasion, David Holm (played by Sjöstrom) is forced to recall his past misdeeds, especially his brutal treatment of his wife. Holm's only hope for salvation lies in his performing a spectacular act of selflessness. As the chariot approaches, Holm despairs: how can he possibly be redeemed before the clock strikes twelve? Sjöstrom's masterful direction is superbly complemented by Julius Jaenzon's multi-exposure cinematography. When artists like Victor Sjöstrom and Mauritz Stiller were lured away by Hollywood, their exodus very nearly brought the wrath of "The Phantom Chariot" on the entire Swedish film industry.

.
 
       

Bonus Features: 2007 score by KTL (Stephen O'Malley and Peter Rehberg)