we and who we never be force to witness such inhumanity and terror a those who survive the holocaust and can probably never quite capture what it mean and indescribable it must have be . director alan j. pakula try with this film to bring u the despair closer and a we witness the struggle of a woman to survive and how she can not live with her decision . sophies story be tell by stingo ( a very young peter macnicol ) and a writer and who move to new york and befriends quickly his new neighbor nathan ( kevin kline ) and sophie ( meryl streep ) . sophie survive ausschwitz and drink to much and be completely dedicate to nathan and who now and then get terrible mood . they all become good friend and but while nathan seem to go deeper and deeper into madness sophie tell stingo from time to time part of her story and how she survive and what a terrible choice she have to make . i wont reveal what the choice be and but for me it be one of most chilling moment i have ever see on film . it reveal very late in the movie and at a time where we already root for sophie and despite be a rather naive and weak character and but we care so much for her it like it happen to ourselves . though macnicol and kline be both flawless in their respective part and the movie be dominate by meryl streep and who demand attention in every scene she in ( and be exquisitely photograph by cinematographer nestor almendros ) . she funny ( the movie and despite the bleak and depress story and be quite joyous ) and exhilarate and beautiful and but at the same time she always seem to be sad and like a cloud it hang over her head . the end of the movie and however sad it be and be not at all depressing and because somehow we felt throughout the whole movie and that sophie be doom from the start and that there be no other solution than this and that it probably more peaceful for her than to go on and on .