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SOPHIE’S CHOICE How is Sophie’s Choice similar to or different from other Holocaust miniseries? Sophie’s Choice by William Styron is one of the most impressive books ever written about the Holocaust. The film is even better. It tells the story of a woman, Sophie, who is trying to piece together her life following the dramatic and terrible events of the Second World War. Many Holocaust miniseries spend a lot of time focusing on the death camps and the suffering of the people there. That is certainly an important aspect of the story.

But the filmmakers of this movie choose to let much of this action proceed off screen, much as in a Greek tragedy. Instead of focusing on scenes set in the Second World War, a significant amount of the story takes place in New York in the post-war period. We are led slowly into the past. For an American audience, this is especially useful, as Sophie’s story is a trans-Atlantic one that takes place in both Europe and America. This deeply personal focus is another way in which this film differs from other miniseries.

Part of the success of this focus comes from Meryl Streep’s performance. The film is virtually unimaginable without her presence. She manages to bring to life the central heroine. This deeply personal story of a woman and her choice sets this film apart from other miniseries.What choices do the filmmakers make in terms of showing or not showing parts of the Holocaust? What are some cinematic aspects of these choices? What do you make of these choices?One of the most striking aspects of the cinematography focusing on the Holocaust is that it is in black and white.

The colour is sapped from this world. Sophie, whose lips are usually red, has virtually no colour in her face in these scenes. She is living in a nightmare of death and despair, from which there is no real exit. The filmmakers are very careful to create this sense of claustrophobia, and it is very effective. Rather than show huge acts of violence, the filmmakers are content to let much of this happen off screen. The filmmakers also film a lot of scenes indoors, with Stingo, Nathan, and Sophie all very close together.

This indicates how trapped each of them is in the worlds they have created for themselves. It is a curious and effective trick. Each of the choices that the characters make—when to act and how to act—have limited their lives in some way. The filmmakers communicate this by filming scenes indoors and in small rooms. There is also a theatrical element to the acting—especially Kevin Kline’s performance as Nathan. It is almost as if he is always on stage. This is an interesting choice in direction as it suggests that Nathan is a man who has dramatized himself.

Perhaps he only wants to be with Sophie because of the sense of drama that she offers to him. Like Sophie he has let a choice about his life define him forever.Work consideredSophie’s Choice. Dir: Alan Pakula. Univesal Pictures, 1982.Hunter, Stephen. Violent Screen. Bancroft Press, 1995.Styron, William. Sophie’s Choice. Random House, 1979.