Sophie's Choice
Sophie's Choice

Movie spotlight

Sophie's Choice

1982
Movie
151 min
English

Stingo, a young writer, moves to Brooklyn in 1947 to begin work on his first novel. As he becomes friendly with Sophie and her lover Nathan, he learns that she is a Holocaust survivor. Flashbacks reveal her harrowing story, from pre-war prosperity to Auschwitz. In the present, Sophie and Nathan's relationship increasingly unravels as Stingo grows closer to Sophie and Nathan's fragile mental state becomes ever more apparent.

Insights

IMDb7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes93%
Metacritic75/100
Google Users89%
Director: Alan J. PakulaGenres: Drama, War, Romance

Plot Summary

In post-WWII Brooklyn, aspiring writer Stingo befriends the charismatic yet volatile Nathan Landau and his beautiful, enigmatic lover Sophie Zawistowska. As their complex relationship unfolds, Sophie is haunted by a terrible secret from her past in Nazi-occupied Poland, a choice she was forced to make that continues to torment her. Stingo becomes entangled in their turbulent lives, witnessing the destructive power of love, obsession, and trauma.

Critical Reception

Sophie's Choice was met with widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Meryl Streep's tour-de-force performance. Critics lauded the film's emotional depth, powerful storytelling, and sensitive handling of difficult subject matter, though some found its length and intensity challenging. It is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece and one of the most impactful films of the 1980s.

What Reviewers Say

  • Meryl Streep delivers an unforgettable, Oscar-winning performance as Sophie.

  • The film powerfully explores themes of survival, guilt, and the devastating consequences of the Holocaust.

  • Alan J. Pakula masterfully directs a deeply moving and often harrowing drama.

Google audience: Audiences overwhelmingly praise Meryl Streep's incredible acting and the film's profound emotional impact. Many viewers found the story deeply moving and thought-provoking, though some noted its intense and difficult nature.

Awards & Accolades

Won Academy Award for Best Actress (Meryl Streep). Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Meryl Streep also won a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for her performance.

Fun Fact

Meryl Streep learned to speak Polish for her role as Sophie Zawistowska, even though the character's Polish accent was intended to be imperfect due to her trauma and prolonged separation from her native language.

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TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Not long after the end of WWII, we meet "Stingo" (Peter MacNicol) who isn't exactly impressed when he encounters his new upstairs neighbours. "Nathan" (Kevin Kline) seems to be a bit of an noisy and brutish oaf towards his girlfriend "Sophi...