Sophie's Choice 1982

In 1947, the story unfolds through the eyes of the narrator, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young writer from the American South who moves to the vibrant yet challenging environment of post-WWII Brooklyn. He forms a close bond with Sophie Zawistowski (Meryl Streep), a striking Polish immigrant, and her complex lover, Nathan Landau (Kevin Kline). Stingo quickly perceives the deep-seated pain etched into Sophie’s identity, symbolized by the serial number tattoo on her forearm, a stark reminder of her traumatic past as a Holocaust survivor.

One evening, during an intimate conversation, Sophie begins to unravel her harrowing past, sharing memories of her husband and father who were tragically killed in a German work camp. Stingo’s curiosity is piqued when he notices the scars on Sophie’s wrists, leading to Sophie revealing her suicide attempt after her liberating experience from Auschwitz. She recounts her journey to a refugee camp in Sweden, where a moment of despair drove her to inflict harm on herself.

As the story progresses, Stingo is drawn deeper into the tumultuous dynamics of Sophie and Nathan’s relationship, which teeters on the brink due to Sophie’s haunting memories and Nathan’s disturbing obsession with the Holocaust, coupled with his erratic behavior and escalating mental health issues. Stingo’s visit to an acquaintance who knew Sophie’s father unveils a shocking truth: Sophie has not been entirely honest about her father, a Jewish-hating Polish professor.

Amidst this unfolding drama, Sophie finds herself in a Jewish ghetto, confronting the ghosts of those her father condemned to death. It’s a stark reminder of her family’s legacy and her struggle for redemption. A desperate rush to complete her father’s speech leads to a public scene that further complicates her past.

Sophie’s entanglement with a new lover, Józef (Nedim Prohic), and the Resistance leader, Wanda (Katharina Thalbach), introduces new layers of conflict. Despite Wanda’s insistence for her to assist in translating stolen documents, Sophie’s maternal instincts kick in, leading her to decline. Tragically, the Gestapo kills Józef, and soon after, Sophie is detained and sent to Auschwitz with her children, where the harrowing decisions of survival loom large.

Upon arrival, horrific choices take shape as Sophie witnesses the separation of her children, Jan and Eva, with devastation imminent. She ardently tries to rescue Jan from a potential epidemic, beseeching a Commandant to allow him entry into the Lebensborn program, only to face an ever-persistent sense of dread.

In the present timeline, Nathan proposes marriage to Sophie, creating a rift as Stingo grapples with his burgeoning feelings for her. Their escape to a hotel only raises tensions further when Nathan’s volatile nature reemerges, sending Sophie back into Stingo’s arms amidst escalating threats from Nathan.

The heart-wrenching climax reveals Sophie’s ultimate secret—a choice imposed by a Nazi officer at Auschwitz that haunts her: she had to choose which of her children would live. Despite her desperate plea of “Don’t make me choose. I can’t choose,” the officer callously orders a young soldier to seize both children. In a moment of sheer desperation, Sophie cries out, “Take my little girl!” as her daughter is ripped away, forever altering her life.

Their brief romance culminates in the night they spend together, only for Stingo to awaken to find Sophie missing. A note reveals her return to Nathan, leaving Stingo heartbroken and bewildered. Tragically, Stingo later finds Sophie and Nathan have taken their lives, a moment of profound sorrow echoing in the air. As he picks up Nathan’s book of Emily Dickinson poems, he solemnly recites “Ample Make This Bed,” offering a final tribute.

The film closes on a poignant note as Stingo departs Brooklyn, with memories of Sophie lingering as a haunting image fades into the mist.