Sophie’s Choice was released in 1982 and quickly gained praise as a dramatic romance film. The storyline is based on the 1979 novel of the same name by American writer William Styron. It was directed by Alan J. Pakula, who later won the Robert Award for Best Foreign Film. Pakula also produced Sophie’s Choice along with Keith Barish, William C. Gerrity, and Martin Starger. Leading cast members included Meryl Streep as Sophie, Kevin Kline as Nathan and Peter MacNicol as narrator Stingo. Most notable, Meryl Streep was acclaimed for her captivating performance in Sophie’s Choice, winning both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. The film was also recognized through nominations in aspects such as Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Screenplay. The film begins in 1947, two years after the end of World War II, with a young writer attempting to make a name
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The storyline itself is long-winded, particularly within the slow first hour of the film. But, as the plot unfolds, the film’s arduous flashbacks provoke emotion. The work of the three main actors is balanced within Sophie’s Choice. Peter MacNicol, who played Stingo, portrayed his character as if he were a fly on the wall. He is an observer, but his performance was underdone. On the contrary, Kevin Kline has amplified Nathan’s character as almost too overpowering, despite the character’s madness. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep’s work as Sophie was phenomenal and balanced the story overall. She displayed a true rainbow of emotion throughout the film while holding an excellent Polish accent. On a negative note, the film was tedious and hard to follow at times. I suspect this was due to a lack of transitions between scenes. Lastly, the cinematography of Sophie’s Choice, from the colorless Auschwitz and vibrant colors of the German garden, depicted the mood of each scene
The storyline itself is long-winded, particularly within the slow first hour of the film. But, as the plot unfolds, the film’s arduous flashbacks provoke emotion. The work of the three main actors is balanced within Sophie’s Choice. Peter MacNicol, who played Stingo, portrayed his character as if he were a fly on the wall. He is an observer, but his performance was underdone. On the contrary, Kevin Kline has amplified Nathan’s character as almost too overpowering, despite the character’s madness. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep’s work as Sophie was phenomenal and balanced the story overall. She displayed a true rainbow of emotion throughout the film while holding an excellent Polish accent. On a negative note, the film was tedious and hard to follow at times. I suspect this was due to a lack of transitions between scenes. Lastly, the cinematography of Sophie’s Choice, from the colorless Auschwitz and vibrant colors of the German garden, depicted the mood of each scene