The Phantom chariot

Sjostom's silent feature is remarkable for its sophisticated narrative structure developed according to a mise-en-abyme construction, wherein flashback issues from flashback and stories are contained by or within other stories. The main character, David Holm, is given another chance at life via a non-linear portal, the point at which the time cycle begins and can also be arrested. In this case, it is New Year's Eve. Most of the filmic narrative takes place or is generated in a cemetery where the protagonist and two drinking buddies are preparing to toast the new year. David Holm tells a story about how one becomes the driver of the phantom chariot, the conveyance used to gather up departed souls during the coming year. In a series of flashbacks, episodes from Holm's profligate life are revealed culminating in the film's final redemptory scene. (Circulates).