Of any performance ever recorded on film, Meryl Streep'sportrayal of Holocaust survivor Sophie Zawistowska in the 1982 classic"Sophie's Choice" is arguably the best. Streep's performance (which wonher an Oscar for Best Actress) is seemingly a mirror image into the life and mindof a Holocaust survivor. The story, an adaptation of the 1976 novel by WilliamStyron, is told with great strength and sensitivity by director Alan J. Pakula,whose immense storytelling abilities weave a haunting tapestry of the 20thcentury's greatest tragedy.

The film begins in post-war Brooklyn, whereStingo (Peter MacNichol), an ambitious young novelist, has emigrated from theSouth. He meets Sophie, a Polish-Catholic immigrant who survived Auschwitz. Wesee the drama unfold through Stingo's eyes as we watch him bear witness to love,hate, lies and betrayal far beyond anything he could ever imagine. The climax isa horrific narrative in which Sophie reveals her darkest secret.

I couldnot recommend any movie more. This is the best of the best.