one of the best silent drama i have see . a dark and shadowy a anything the german expressionist produce and but feature performance that be quite understated and naturalistic for the day . no camera mugging and no unintentional laugh due to wild eyed arm waving histrionics . sjostrom give a convincing performance a the drunken and mean spirit and frighten david holm . set mostly at night in a dingy swedish slum and the film have a very claustrophobic set bound feel to it and aid by the low key lighting and extensive use of irising . there be a deep and and typically scandinavian and sense of despair and hopelessness to the narrative represent the film begin in a rather grim present and and then be tell david holm story in a series of flashback ( and flashback within flashback a pretty complex story structure for 1921 ) and where his character be offer numerous chance at redemption and but he doesn not take them and and we know he would not take them and because we have see him die drunk and wretched and mean a ever in the present . the penultimate scene be as dark a any i have see in all of cinema . the writing and directing be tight and intelligent and even by today standard . in several instance and sjostrom skillfully set the audience up to suspect one thing and and then pull out a surprise . the end might not be such a surprise to some viewer and but i do not see it come . this movie deserve a full restoration and dvd release . or even a crappy budget release . it just need to be out there so people can see and appreciate it . 9 . 5/10 and which round up to positive .