The most famous of Sjöström's Swedish films, a
supernatural fantasy telling of a ne'er-do-well whose encounter with
a ghostly coachman propels him to repentance. Though heavily
moralising in the manner of Griffith, it becomes genuinely moving
through an immensely subtle visual sophistication. The special
effects, creating a supernatural ambience through superimpositions
and dissolves, have traditionally been praised, but throughout, the
delicate framing and lighting offer an extraordinarily precise
reflection of mood and emotion, while the complex narrative structure
ties the plot strands together with startling density.
Sjöström himself plays the lead, but is upstaged by
Borgström, giving a performance worthy of Lillian Gish as his
suffering wife.
