Sophie's Choice
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.79 You Save: $5.15 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.50 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Sophie's Choice
Movie Review: easily one of the best movies ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Sophie's Choice is by far one of the very best films I've ever seen. This period piece was done with the greatest of care--we get excellent, convincing acting; a fine script; outstanding choreography and cinematography; character development and more. The plot moves along at a good pace and although the movie runs two and one-half hours I was never once bored--these characters drew me in; the story grabbed me by the throat and never let me go until the very final frame of the picture. In addition, the recurring theme of life as opposed to death runs through the picture to make this film most powerful indeed.
When the action starts in 1947, we meet young 22 year-old Stingo (Peter MacNicol) who has moved to Brooklyn, New York from the South to become a full fledged writer; he has high hopes for his future. Naturally, he finds Brooklyn to be rather different than the Deep South but he quickly makes friends with Sophie (Meryl Streep), a beautiful Polish émigré and her rather unstable lover, Nathan (Kevin Kline); they share an apartment in the same boarding house that Stingo moves into. Stingo becomes fast friends with Sophie and Nathan although he is bothered by Nathan's incredible outbursts of anger and violence that sometimes result in Sophie being physically harmed.
It is through Stingo's eyes that we get to know Nathan as well as Sophie's disturbing and complicated past. Sophie tells Stingo that her father and husband were killed by the Nazis at the onset of World War Two; and Sophie makes it clear that she agreed with her father when it came to his hatred of the Nazis about which he lectured at the University in Poland where he taught. However, halfway through the film Stingo learns that Sophie has not exactly been telling him the truth and that Nathan is also hiding the truth--and the disappointed Stingo almost leaves to return to the South especially as his funds are running low and he hasn't sold his book yet.
Sophie convinces Stingo to stay; and we see even more of the tumultuous relationship between Sophie and Nathan--as well as a new explanation of her past to Stingo. As the plot unfolds, Stingo, Sophie and Nathan become all the more close--and Stingo has an encounter with Nathan's brother Larry (Stephen D. Newman) that is also quite shocking.
Actually, I haven't given away as much of the plot as it may seem; you will understand that when you see this film. I won't give away more of the plot either; but suffice it to say that the devastating, demoralizing choice that Sophie had to make will haunt you for quite some while to come; it's one of the most powerful scenes I've ever watched in any movie.
Other actors performed very well in this film; Greta Turken did a great job as Leslie Lapidus and Günther Maria Halmer brilliantly portrays Rudolf Hoess, the actual Nazi Commandant at Auschwitz and the only person in this film who actually existed. Marvin Hamlisch's original music for the film adds even more to the quality of the picture.
The DVD comes with an interesting documentary ("Death Dreams at Mourning") that includes actors Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep and Peter MacNicol as well as Marvin Hamlisch; and we get the theatrical trailer. There are production notes and brief comments on still screens about the principle actors in the film.
Sophie's Choice easily stands the test of time; the film is every bit as powerful now as it was when it was first released because of the nature of the story as it relates to the horrors of World War Two. True, it's certainly not for the squeamish; but this poignant tale is so remarkable and so well done that it should be in every film buff's collection.
Movie Review: Seeing this movie would be the right choice...
Summary: 5 Stars
I think that `Sophie's Choice' is not a film you can enjoy the first go around. No, I think it takes at least two viewings before you can behold all that the film really represents. It's kind of like `Million Dollar Baby', another film that doesn't really make an impression until the second viewing. The reason for this is that you aren't really sure what all the fuss is about until the final moments of the film. Both films seem like average movie going experiences until the emotionally crippling finales that open your eyes to a whole new way of viewing the film. The second time around you are able to appreciate so much more because you know exactly what kind of film you're watching.
The film follows a young aspiring writer nicknamed Stingo who moves into a boarding house in Brooklyn where he shares occupancy with a young and beautiful Polish immigrant named Sophie. Sophie herself is nice enough, but her boyfriend Nathan is another story, one moment kind and affectionate and the next moment thrown into a jealous and unjustified rage.
The film feels as though it is nothing more than a film of friendship and restrained affection (especially between Stingo and Sophie) and moves along as if the film is more concerned with Nathan and his effect of those around him than anything else; but as the film progresses towards the halfway mark the focus shifts and we realize that Sophie has a past so dark and horrible one can't help but be engrossed in it. In fact, the best scenes of the film appear in gritty black and white and are spoken in German as Sophie recounts her life before Brooklyn.
The acting in this film has been lauded, especially with regards to Meryl Streep, and that Oscar was more than earned (she donned a perfect Polish accent and learned to speak German for the role) but Meryl was not the only one pulling her weight. Kevin Kline, who made his big screen debut with this film, does a good job with depicting his characters emotional state. He comes off a little over-the-top and obnoxious until his character is fully explained, and then everything starts to fall into place. Peter MacNicol was unjustly snubbed of an Oscar nomination, for his portrayal of Stingo is brilliantly controlled, matching Streep step for step but never overshadowing her. He allows her to bloom but never fades away from view, keeping his viewpoint foremost in our minds. This is Sophie's story told through his eyes, and we never forget that.
And then there is Meryl, and what a revelation she is here. Many have lauded this as her finest performance (Premiere Magazine has this listed as the #3 greatest performance of all time) and even if I slightly prefer her `A Cry in the Dark' performance I cannot deny that this is truly outstanding in every sense of the word. I was utterly absorbed in her from the get go, and her final scene, that final revelation when you realize what choice Sophie had to make (it is now what you expect) she breaks your heart into a million pieces. Streep has always been and will always be one of my favorite actresses of all time, and years, decades, centuries from now she will be remembered along with the greats like Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn and (cross your fingers) Kate Winslet (LOVE) as one of the greatest actresses to ever grace the big screen and invade our hearts.
So, in closing I must say that `Sophie's Choice' lives up to the hype. It may not seem like it at first, but that's only because the film deceives you into thinking it's something that it's not. Believe me, once the weight and or gravity of the film hits you it will change everything and you will see the film in its entirety in a whole new light.
Movie Review: Death Dreams of Mourning
Summary: 5 Stars
"There are so many things you do not understand. There are so many things I cannot tell you. And the truth does not make it easier to understand."
So says Sophie Zawistowski, the tormented woman at the center of "Sophie's Choice." Alan J. Pakula's film of William Styron's novel stands proudly alongside "Schindler's List" as a document of the Holocaust, but while the latter film tells the story of a people, this movie chooses to tell one woman's unspeakable story. Everything about "Sophie's Choice" is right. Pakula's direction and screenplay are superb, and the cinematography by Nestor Almendros is breathtakingly beautiful. The centerpiece of the film, however, is Meryl Streep's Oscar-winning performance as Sophie (probably the most deserved win in history) and the equally brilliant turns by Kevin Kline (in his first film role) and a very young Peter MacNicol.
A young writer named Stingo (MacNicol) comes to Brooklyn "on a voyage of discovery," and while living there meets Sophie and Nathan (Streep and Kline), two lovers who quickly befriend him. Stingo soon developes a crush on Sophie, and learns that she is a survivor of Auschwitz. While the seductive Nathan becomes ever more dangerous, Stingo gradually learns the secrets of Sophie's past, a past filled with terrible secrets and unbearable pain and guilt.
Meryl Streep gives possibly the best film performance ever as Sophie, completely becoming the Polish Holocaust survivor. The range and complexity of her performance is astonishing. Streep has many monologues as Sophie where she reveals more an more of the horrors she witnessed in the concentration camps, and these are all filmed in close up on Streep's face. It's riveting. As played by Streep, Sophie is a woman filled with immense hope, but also haunted by suffering, her eyes almost always close to tears. The final scene of "the choice" is almost unbearable in its intensity and will disturb you for days. A monumental performance that never seems like acting.
As an actor, Kevin Kline tends to go over the top, but he does some of his best work ever in "Sophie's Choice" as the demented Nathan. His mood swings from lovable to terrifying are completely believable, and quite scary. Peter MacNicol also makes the most of Stingo, probably the least interesting character. As the film's narrator, his subtle and honest work holds the movie together. Without him, it wouldn't work.
At 150 minutes, "Sophie's Choice" is a little overlong. Alan J. Pakula was so concerned about being faith to the book that there are several scenes that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor. However, the movie is a remarkable achievement, one that will make you cry and leave you completely absorbed the entire time. "Sophie's Choice" plays like a mystery. You can't look away until you find out the terrible secret of her past. But don't be surprised when the answer breaks your heart.
Movie Review: I don't believe this is fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the book the moment it hit the stands because I was already a huge William Styron fan. I had a first edition! (Then I lent it to someone, and oh well, we all know the end of that story.) I just about reached a moment of person ecstacy (nice way to put it , eh?)when I heard Meryl Streep was chosen to play Sophie.(My other mental choice was Faye Dunaway - Meryl is better, no question.)And when I saw the movie, like the book they kept peeling away layer after layer of her story until in the end we 'know' her truth. I have it on DVD and watch at least once a year. It reaches me, it scares me, it touches my soft places and hardens my defensive ones. It makes me question how the character survives at all, instead of just having a psychotic break in the camp (which would have been certain death).
It is perhaps the most horrible of horror movies where it is
horrific, and the most touching of character pieces where Sophie
is "made to bloom like a rose" in her humour, her humanity, and her regained health. It makes me laugh at all of Sophie's gentle and telling abuses of the language as she translates in her head and then speaks in a rather tortured eegnleesh. And it is also a remarkable movie for the sensitivity and strength of the three lead performances (Kevin Kline's debut!). Alan Pakula adapted and directed in a masterful sweep : history of the very large, and the very small. If he had never made another movie, this would be enough (but of course he did make others).
It is hard to convince people (especially mothers) that they will
enjoy the book or the film, because they all aready think they know what "Sophie's choice" is....but the point is that Sophie makes choices on many levels throughout the film - all of which promise salvation of a sort, and deliver something quite different. It is a tragedy in all too human terms, because in all liklihood, it is NOT fiction. At a certain, high school age, this is the movie that students should watch when they start asking why there was a Second World War, and what evil lurks in the hearts of men, and why is there an Israel?
If you have been thinking of renting it, or buying it, or reading it, I strongly recommend opening yourself to the experience. You will be richly rewarded and 'touched' everywhere.
".....and I knew that only a Jesus who no longer cared for me could take all of these peoples, that I did loved so much, away from me and leaving me here.........alive."
"The truth. The truth the truth. I do not know anymore what is the truth. After all of these lies that I have told.......You want to know the truth?"
Haunting.
Movie Review: One of the most poignant movies of all time. Period.
Summary: 5 Stars
From a totally penetrating and naked display of emotions, to her effortless narration of German prose, or the very convincingly affectuated Polish accent, this may be one of Streep's most outstanding performances ever! 'Sophie's Choice' should be compulsory viewing for any member of the voting panel who decides Academy Award winners. Quite simply, Meryl Streep's performance is THE benchmark for that 'Best Actress' category. I've seen a lot of films and not one performance has ever (or perhaps will ever) equal her's. The manner in which she embodies Sophie is beyond scrutiny, it is too accomplished and moving for words. Sophie is a person who is naive, jaded, innocent, guilt stricken, soft and gentle, hard as nails, loving and giving, and both practical and poetic to a fault. She is a classic tragic figure, a lesson in how to deal with the horrors of life and how not to deal with how those horrors haunt you. She is funny, soft and sweet, and you want to put your arms around her. Then you realize that underneath that childlike woman is a woman who has given up on childhood. She is a study in contradictions, speaking English, German, and Polish to survive at all costs. Then along comes Nathan, expertly portrayed by Kevin Kline (possibly one of his most challenging and multi-layered roles), and her life takes another turn.
But we see all this through the wondering, innocent eyes of Stingo (Peter MacNicol), and the terror, love, laughs, friendship and alienation he experiences, that we experience.
Aside from Streep's breathtaking pivotal performance, there are so many other reasons to own, collect and cherish this film -- Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol in their once in a lifetime role (I bet you cannot imagine anybody other than MacNicol who could portray Stingo like he does!), the beautiful cinematography, the haunting score which I realized was never overly touching or pretentiously dramatic....and yes, the key scene -- The Choice of Choices -- is possibly the most poignant scene ever on film, and how Meryl interprets Sophie during this scene is, by itself, worth an award! I loved this movie.
All I can say to sum up is: required viewing! An intelligent and profoundly moving film that will (I promise you) live on in your memory long after the closing credits.