10 Intense Performances In Heart-Breaking Movie Scenes
3. Meryl Streep Sophies Choice
You dont have to watch the rest of Sophies Choice to know that the eponymous scene contains phenomenal acting. This is why Meryl Streep is so renowned. If this were the only performance shed ever done, she would still retain the amount of acclaim shes accrued over the years. It won her second Oscar of her career, just three short years since her first for Kramer vs. Kramer and is frequently claimed the best performance by an actress. Not only did she learn to speak German, but also she learned how to speak it with a Polish accent. Her commitment is unparalleled. The eponymous scene with Sophies choice is a textbook moral dilemma, but one only bold enough to work here. Its brutal, even out of context with the rest of the film. A mothers love is easy to connect to, and the evil that the Nazis are portrayed with here is terrifying. Streep fully embraces the nightmare being forced to choose between her children, clutching onto her daughter who she later sends away. She trembles in fear, shakes in sorrow and cries with anguish and makes us feel the exact same things. Its unbearable but you cant take your eyes off her.
Recently graduated from University of Hertfordshire with a Film & Television Production degree. Usually found watching films, listening to music, writing for whatculture and writing reviews for awardscircuit.com and my blog.
