Review of Sophie's Choice (1982) by Steven P — 02 Jun 2010

The story is essentially about a southern man named Stingo who journies to New York to pursue his dream of being a writer but the main tale of Stingo is completely overshadowed by that of Sophie's (Merryl Streeps character). Stingo meets her and her boyfriend when he moves into her boarding house and the three quickly become friends.

Sophie is a Polish woman who recounts her tale of suffering. She was caught by the Nazis, forced to give up her children and then sentenced to a concentration camp. Her's is a story within that of Stingo's, presented in extended poignant flashblacks, but completely steals the movie. The contrast between her horrific, depressing past and the bland and boring events of Stingo's present is quite obvious and the movie does go on for too long but Merryl's absolutely brilliant performance is worth the time. Her accents are spot on, never seeming strained or forced, and she seems to experience every spectrum of human emotion without seeming affected. It is a natural and genius performance; an Oscar well deserved.