Review of Sophie's Choice (1982) by Tom A — 10 Mar 2008

Alan J. Pakula directed and wrote this adaptation of William Styron's autobiographical novel (which I haven't yet read, but plan to). Meryl Streep deservedly won an Oscar as Polish-Catholic concentration-camp survivor Sophie, who sufers tremendous guilt for surviving when all her loved ones died. She lives in Brooklyn with her Jewish lover, Nathn (Kevin Kline), who is losing a battle with insanity. When calm, Nathan is a charming man who provides both the intellectual stimulation and the compassion Sophie needs to keep her mind off her tragic past and soothe her open wounds. But I suspect she needs him more for his frightful insane moments when he humiliates and punishes her in the manner she thinks she deserves for having survived the Holocaust. Into their troubled lives comes a new neighbour, our narrator, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young Protestant from the South, who is working on his first novel. While Stingo is anxious to enter manhood by having his first sexual experience, he undergoes another rite of passage by learning about human suffering from Sophie and Nathan. But no-one can distinguish between Sophies lies and the truth, as Stingo discovers she lied about her father's past. Later recollections seem true as Pakula shows them in flashback. But are they accurate, or does she make them up for Stingo (or to dissuade him from wanting to create a life for them both?) Could it be that she had no daughter and that she chose to save herself rather than her son? If he was taken away to be killed (she says he was taken to the children's camp, not directly to the gas chambers), this would explain why she didn't remain in Europe to search for him or get some confirmation of his death. (It's doubtful that Pakula intended anyone to make this interpretation, but the structure of the film and portrayal of Sophie make it a possibility). Or perhaps she, finally, is telling the truth and fled Europe as a facile way to escpae her guilt for what she had done. Film has many powerful scenes, though post-Schindler's List the concentration camp sequences do not have the realism we now require. MacNicol (who is like early, pre-Bourne Matt Damon) gives a quiet performance that is the opposite of the other two. Streep is amazing, at the height of her career, but it's still like watching her "acting" (it always is). Kline too is great in his first major role, though sometimes it is as if he still thinks he is in Pirates of Penzance. Beautifully photographed by Nestor Almendros. At 2 1/2 hours, it is a little too long for a three-character piece. It is strange that I have not seen this film until now, given that for a short time as a teenager I was obsessed with Holocaust films.

The DVD features an interesting documentary about not only the making of the film, but the issues behind the film: how do survivors deal with the crippling guilt they must face? How are they treated by their community, many of which question what they must have done to survive? Two female Holocaust survivors are interviewed, as well as some active in Holocaust education. Streep has much to say about her method, which is interesting -- she demanded the production move to eastern Europe for the Holocaust scenes. There is also a good commentary track from Pakula. Though at times it is self-congratulatory, it is also self-critical in explaining why certain scenes still do not work for him. Major technical flaw is that the soundtrack is not brought down low enough under the commentary, so at times it is difficult to hear soft-spoken Pakula.