Watch movie clip "Sophie's Choice."
Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Meryll Streep, Kevin Kline, and Peter MacNicol
Date Shown: 1982
Academy Awards USA:
Won Oscar for Best Actress (Meryll Streep),
Oscar Nomination for Best Cinematography (Nestor Almendros)
Oscar Nomination for Best Costume Design (Albert Wolsky)
Oscar Nomination for Best Music Original Score (Marvin Hamlisch)
Oscar Nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay based on Material
from another medium (Alan J. Pakula)
Note: This movie won several awards in different entries.
The above mentioned is only for Academy Awards, USA.
Review
The awards that this movie won speaks for itself. I loved how the movie progressed. It is very unpredictable. More and more secrets were revealed as the story unfolds.
Sophie and Nathan seem to be an odd couple as Nathan seemed to be eccentric with his mood swings. Towards the end, it was told that Nathan has a disability which explains his behaviour.
Meanwhile, one would wonder why Sophie clinged on to Nathan despite his odd behaviour at times (it was shown, however, how Nathan can be very caring and tender when he is in a very good mood). But her story, especially about her experience in the war, would make one understand why she remained loyal to Nathan (the first person who took care of her after she was treated badly in war).
Though the above movie clip (I got the clip from the Sophistry and Illustion website that is why it has text at the beginning of the movie clip) saddens me, it was one of the best scenes in the movie. It was able to impart how the victims of the holocaust were treated, degrading. And, the act of letting the victim choose between who will live and die between her children in front of her children is very cruel. Just imagine the guilt Sophie experienced when she survived the war.
Stingo was the neutral character in the film, the one most people could relate too. The young who leaves home to work on his dream. Along the way, he stumbles into other people who has different life experiences. He listens, observes and becomes a friend.
All the three characters have very different life experiences. In the movie, the three of them became the best of friends. They have nothing in common, and I wonder what brought the three of them together aside from living in the same house. I understand why Nathan and Sophie became a couple. I do not understand how Stingo related to them, especially when Nathan's state seemed to very unstable. Maybe because Stingo was looking for friends as he was new in the city? Or was it because Sophie and Nathan are in love and Stingo was secretly falling in love with Sophie that is why he stuck to the friendship?
Though the ending of the film is not expected, it seemed that Sophie found her peace.
What are your thoughts about the film?
