Sophie's Choice

Meryl Streep picked up an Oscar for Best Actress for her wrenching portrayal of post-WWII Polish-Catholic émigré Sophie Zawistowska--a woman with a harrowing wartime secret--in the late Alan J. Pakula's powerful 1982 adaptation of William Styron's novel. Set in Brooklyn, circa 1947, the story unfolds through the eyes of Southern transplant and aspiring writer Stingo (Peter MacNicol, in a wonderful performance that really should have launched his career), who is drawn into the volatile roller coaster relationship between Sophie and her alternately manic and destructive lover Nathan (Kevin Kline). On DVD, Sophie's Choice occasionally looks dark, but this is more due to Nestor Almendros' low-lit cinematography than any fault with the transfer, which is otherwise solid, as is the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Notable extras include an excellent commentary track by Pakula, and an engrossing 53-minute documentary "Death Dreams of Mourning," featuring Pakula, Styron, Streep, Kline, MacNicol, and composer Marvin Hamlisch (whose beautiful, haunting score is very different from his signature ragtime fare), as well as Holocaust survivors and scholars. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Apr. 8, 2014—Shout! Factory, 157 min., R, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and first on Blu-ray, 1983's Sophie's Choice features a solid transfer and a DTS-HD soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras include archival audio commentary by director Alan J. Pakula, a new roundtable discussion featuring costars Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and others (46 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: this haunting drama with its powerhouse performance by Streep makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]