Breaking Down This BEAUTIFUL (Horrible?) Movie | FIRST TIME WATCHING SOPHIE'S CHOICE *Reaction*

[00:00:00]It was 1947, 2 years after the war.

[00:00:02]>> Stingo.

[00:00:03]>> Call me Stingo.

[00:00:04]>> I will. Yeah.

[00:00:06]>> I had barely saved enough money to write my novel.

[00:00:08]>> Oh, hello. What's it about? Tell me.

[00:00:09]>> Wanted beyond hope or dreaming to be a writer.

[00:00:12]>> I believe in you, Stingo.

[00:00:13]>> Unacquainted with love and a stranger to death.

[00:00:16]>> Mhm. Is it a love story?

[00:00:18]>> Even back then, cheap apartments were hard to find in Manhattan.

[00:00:21]>> Times have not changed. Stingo.

[00:00:25]Dude, who did you rob? What a sack.

[00:00:28]Beautiful house, though. Jesus. It looks like I can't explain it. It looks like I can eat it.

[00:00:32]Does that make sense?

[00:00:33]>> See, my late husband saw >> But of course. Sorry.

[00:00:36]>> Hundreds of gallons of this navy surplus paint.

[00:00:38]>> And just went to town. Hey, fair play, man.

[00:00:40]>> Have any use for pink in those bolts, huh?

[00:00:43]>> Men are scared of that color, generally.

[00:00:44]Yeah, it's weird.

[00:00:47]That was well maneuvered, mate. Well done.

[00:00:51]Dude, I swear to god. No!

[00:00:53]Okay, good. Sorry, I'M ON EDGE.

[00:00:55]YOU got Dude, stop it.

[00:00:57]Teasing me.

[00:01:05]First thing you do when you get in, mate, you claim success for yourself.

[00:01:08]You put it down.

[00:01:09]>> Sit down with us in Sophie's room.

[00:01:11]>> Sophie, is she a menace?

[00:01:12]>> From one of Brooklyn's earliest bars to Brooklyn's newest.

[00:01:15]>> Oh, okay. We've got another writer.

[00:01:19]Hey.

[00:01:21]Uh-oh.

[00:01:23]Wow, that quick, huh?

[00:01:26]>> Guys, what happened?

[00:01:28]>> I need you like a GODDAMN INSUFFERABLE ITCH.

[00:01:29]>> PLEASE, I CAN NAME.

[00:01:31]>> A BIT ROUGH.

[00:01:32]>> I NEED YOU LIKE a biliary calculus.

[00:01:34]>> Okay.

[00:01:34]>> Encephalitis.

[00:01:36]>> Mate.

[00:01:36]>> I need you like death.

[00:01:39]>> Okay, you put You're You're the ones who are a bit more inventive, mate. To be fair, you could just say she's not for you.

[00:01:44]A bit much, isn't it?

[00:01:44]>> Go back to cracker.

[00:01:46]>> She's Polish, though. Cool.

[00:01:47]>> Well, good evening.

[00:01:48]>> Mhm.

[00:01:48]>> You wonder what was going on? Well, shut my mouth.

[00:01:51]>> You're not enamoring yourself, mate.

[00:01:53]>> Too bad I won't be around for a little lively conversation.

[00:01:55]>> You sound terrible.

[00:01:57]>> We've had great time.

[00:01:58]>> Don't think so.

[00:01:59]>> We could have talked about sports.

[00:02:01]Mention me.

[00:02:02]>> Oh.

[00:02:03]>> See you in another life.

[00:02:04]>> Please, no. Like cannot stress the no enough.

[00:02:08]>> You okay?

[00:02:08]>> Would you like some spam?

[00:02:10]>> I'm very so sorry.

[00:02:11]>> Oh, we're doing an accent, Meryl. Hey, you can get away with anything, dude.

[00:02:14]Let's go.

[00:02:14]>> That's not the way he >> Don't make excuses.

[00:02:17]>> Yeah, really. It's you know >> Mhm.

[00:02:19]>> I live downstairs here. If there's anything you want.

[00:02:21]>> Mate, honestly though, you cannot offer more than spam.

[00:02:24]>> You're right. God.

[00:02:25]>> He is. Sorry. He's got that as well.

[00:02:27]>> I'm Stingo.

[00:02:28]>> Yes, you are. Sorry. I love his name.

[00:02:32]>> Forgive us.

[00:02:33]>> Not us. Him. Him. You did nothing, mate.

[00:02:35]You need a bit of value in yourself.

[00:02:38]Sophie's Choice. I bet it's not that bad, you know.

[00:02:42]Just putting it out there, you know.

[00:02:43]People hyping stuff up. That's what I'm saying.

[00:02:46]>> He had invited you to dinner.

[00:02:48]>> Yes.

[00:02:48]>> Uh Listen, I very often >> God, she's beautiful, isn't she? That's crazy. Sorry, that's crazy work. I need to just process.

[00:02:54]>> My father, type, it will make me feel uh >> At home.

[00:02:58]>> Secure.

[00:02:59]>> Mhm. Aw.

[00:03:01]>> Father was a writer.

[00:03:02]>> Did he write?

[00:03:02]>> Well, we're all writers.

[00:03:03]>> You know >> Oh.

[00:03:04]>> as professor of law warning Polish people of the the Nazi threat.

[00:03:09]>> Oh, I see. What a gentleman.

[00:03:12]Hero was what I was going for. I don't know why I went there. Probably don't want to, though.

[00:03:15]>> Yeah, that sound of typing will make me think of my father.

[00:03:18]>> Aw.

[00:03:19]>> And of his goodness.

[00:03:20]>> Yeah.

[00:03:21]>> Stingo, yeah?

[00:03:22]>> Hey, she can get away with that. It's fine.

[00:03:24]>> Stingo, yes.

[00:03:25]>> Yeah.

[00:03:26]>> Never hear that name.

[00:03:27]>> Me, too, actually.

[00:03:28]>> There's no K in there, though.

[00:03:30]>> Oh, you're very you're very precious about it.

[00:03:31]>> Happy sound.

[00:03:32]>> What is his actual name, though? Is it like Ben? Cuz that that's rough.

[00:03:36]Not Ben, but like just the shift from Ben to Stingo. Do you know what I'm saying?

[00:03:41]Mate.

[00:03:42]It's what I'm saying. Sorry. It's not important, but also Yeah, sorry.

[00:03:45]Briefly.

[00:03:46]Really interesting start to the film.

[00:03:48]We're what? 10 minutes in?

[00:03:49]Super interesting.

[00:03:52]Possible foundations for what this film is dealing with. Heavy stuff, deep stuff, too. What have we got? We've got writing, creative. Is he going to find some meaning? It seems as if our main character here is in his fledgling years. He's not particularly achieved anything yet, but there's a lot of potential. He's a bit of a dreamer. He's gentle. He's nice.

[00:04:11]You know, then we have the introduction of love. Are we going to find our protagonist and Sophie? Are they going to have a little bit of a thing? Then we have the altercation on the staircase.

[00:04:19]Sophie and Nathan We have the, uh, representation of a masculinity. Uh, really cool that there's two writers, as well. Our protagonist and Nathan. I think two different examples of the same thing. You often think of writers as emotive, gentle, empathetic. But, I mean, two words that I've just used, emotive, empathetic, can go either way.

[00:04:41]You know, you can contain that and use that for ill or or for good, right? And we're sort of seeing the two sides of the same coin, which I feel like thematically you can do a lot with as a film, as a story. Then we have Sophie coming in. She's Polish. She's talking about Nazis, the Jews. She has, uh, the numbers tattooed on her arm. So, we've got this idea of identity straight from the off. Who am I? Who am I? Uh, and what does that make of us?

[00:05:08]Sophie's coming from this background where perhaps her value has been tarnished in herself, in in her own idea of of the world, right? As we saw in the altercation with Nathan on the stairs, not much value. She's constantly apologizing for for him, as well, when she has nothing to apologize for. She's the victim in that.

[00:05:30]But, it does show you a lot about her value. Then you see perhaps where historically that has come from, at least in her life. Anyway, interesting. Waffled on enough for the start, but if you're not familiar, hello, by the way. I do stop and start a lot. I do discuss. This is more of a commentary and analysis channel, so hopefully you like that. Just letting you know this is going to be the video.

[00:05:51]It will not change. I will be stopping and starting a lot, perhaps. We'll see.

[00:05:54]I do encourage you to get involved. If you have something to add, please put a comment down below.

[00:05:59]Whether you agree or disagree, everything is subjective at the end of the day. So, that's the fun of it, right?

[00:06:05]Yeah, so if his choice is going to be some element of who do I want to be? Do I choose this guy? Do I choose Nathan?

[00:06:12]Is it a case of the choosing the life for yourself that you want?

[00:06:18]Yeah, fair, man. He is a little volatile. Is he drunk?

[00:06:23]Woah.

[00:06:24]>> Oh, no.

[00:06:25]>> Yeah, she's attached herself to him, which is dangerous considering everything that you we're seeing.

[00:06:29]>> You're dying.

[00:06:30]>> I bet Nathan thinks he's so glorious, too, cuz he's eloquent or articulate.

[00:06:35]>> Make friends.

[00:06:36]>> By climbing in the window. Okay.

[00:06:38]>> Sorry about last night.

[00:06:40]>> Cool. No, do you know what? Let's give him a shot. We are ourselves not one bad day, after all.

[00:06:45]>> Oh.

[00:06:45]>> Oh, hello. Yeah, why not?

[00:06:47]>> Everybody out there dresses the same.

[00:06:48]Look at those poor pathetic people out there.

[00:06:50]>> Oh, cool. Okay. Conformity, nonconformity. Yeah. The idea of identity, right? Everyone's the same.

[00:06:56]Everyone does the same thing, dresses the same, does the same, all this stuff.

[00:06:59]And what? You are different. You don't do that. You don't conform. You're individual. Yeah, interesting. And we've got Sophie in this place where she perhaps doesn't have a lot of value or autonomy, perhaps. Also, you know, what we after war 40s women and their autonomy a little bit stifled, aren't they? They only have so much they can do in the sense of the autonomy they can kind of take for themselves.

[00:07:24]So, if you're attaching herself to someone like Nathan who is let's go out, be free, do what we want, right? I can see the attraction. I can see why she would seek a lot of solace in him and the character HE IS.

[00:07:36]>> YOU'RE BORING.

[00:07:38]>> AS dangerous or as toxic as he might be otherwise.

[00:07:41]>> Jewish?

[00:07:42]>> Sophie's Catholic.

[00:07:43]>> Okay.

[00:07:44]>> Not anymore Catholic, so.

[00:07:46]>> Catholic-ish.

[00:07:47]>> I mean, even that small exchange, "I'm not Catholic anymore. Well, you're Catholic-ish." Small though it might be, it's very normalizing in him taking away her decision for her. How many of those subtle small things accumulate to the point that this man is taking a lot of her almost freedom away. There is something of a a dichotomy in his character, Nathan.

[00:08:08]He's a really interesting character as it is we are in the film because I think, like I say, he represents freedom, nonconformity, while at the same time being so stifling in a lot of ways. And I think Sophie and her characterization is sort of the mouthpiece for that.

[00:08:24]>> It was Nathan that see that it was only anemia.

[00:08:26]>> Are you a doctor?

[00:08:27]>> No, no. That's my brother's domain.

[00:08:29]>> Okay.

[00:08:29]>> I graduated in science from Harvard.

[00:08:31]>> You look distinctly like second.

[00:08:36]>> Yeah, I do research now.

[00:08:36]>> He works at Pfizer.

[00:08:37]>> Ah, pharmaceutical house here in Brooklyn.

[00:08:39]>> Oh, an acquaintance, yes.

[00:08:41]>> He was a friend of my brother's. He confirmed my diagnosis.

[00:08:43]>> Okay.

[00:08:44]>> On massive doses of ferrous sulfate.

[00:08:46]>> Hang on. So, what you're saying is your friend, who you quite possibly could have had a conversation with beforehand, corroborated your unprofessional opinion.

[00:08:56]Suspicion from me, sir. We'll see. Just seems a little bit, again, like from what I've seen at the beginning, another way to control her, put her on something that she doesn't need.

[00:09:08]>> Not too blunt, just blunt.

[00:09:09]>> Not too blunt, so what?

[00:09:11]>> Yeah, exactly.

[00:09:12]>> There's too many words.

[00:09:14]>> I agree.

[00:09:14]>> For velocity, faster, quick, rapid.

[00:09:17]>> True.

[00:09:17]>> Same thing.

[00:09:18]>> Mhm.

[00:09:19]>> Hasty.

[00:09:19]>> There we go. Get involved, why not?

[00:09:21]>> How many languages do you know?

[00:09:22]>> German, French, Russian, >> Wow.

[00:09:25]>> What language I am butchering now?

[00:09:27]>> Friend. Friend. Not being funny, if you speak more than your native language, like one extra language, that's incredible. I've said this before. If you're speaking it a little bit imperfectly, we can understand you, mate. You're acing it. 10 out of 10, honestly.

[00:09:41]The fact that you have what? Multiple?

[00:09:44]Shh.

[00:09:45]She's incredibly intelligent, dedicated.

[00:09:48]Right? You have to be to learn that many languages. And yeah, I feel like she has such a small opinion of herself that is being contributed to by Nathan. Sorry, I'll shut up about it.

[00:09:56]I've said it. Let's table it. Let's move on. And by the way, for new people coming, I'm not saying this in really from any perspective of judgment. I am just observing what I'm seeing.

[00:10:07]>> father was a civilized man.

[00:10:09]>> Oh, yeah, you said that with emphasis.

[00:10:11]>> Living in a non-civilized time.

[00:10:13]>> Is it civilized now, would you say?

[00:10:15]>> Do you play the piano?

[00:10:16]>> Oh, the implication there that he's not civilized in his head, perhaps.

[00:10:21]Looking at him all the time, are you?

[00:10:22]>> No longer play.

[00:10:23]>> Why him?

[00:10:26]You keep looking at him. Why?

[00:10:27]>> My mother was a beautiful pianist.

[00:10:29]>> I think we know why, right?

[00:10:31]Huh? So, he bought it. Okay. Look, maybe there's more going on here. I'm open to that. I'm interested to see.

[00:10:39]He's playing. Yeah, okay. Okay. That's so funny. What a beautiful moment in the film to sort of cap off what we've been seeing since the beginning.

[00:10:47]>> I hear my mother downstairs.

[00:10:48]>> You're not allowed to shine because his ego is too fragile.

[00:10:52]>> And a more beautiful life.

[00:10:54]>> That's so cruel. He bought you that, but yet he doesn't let you play it. It's almost like a tease, like a torture, considering you know how and it's such a beautiful memory from your childhood.

[00:11:06]Look at that. Yeah, lingering on their hands. That's beautiful. Seeing her almost wanting to play. She does. Look at that. Come on. Okay.

[00:11:15]Beautiful. I love the way that Stingo is just third wheeling with confidence, man.

[00:11:20]Wow. How long, respectfully, until we take this to the bedroom? That's what I'm saying.

[00:11:23]>> I shivered violently.

[00:11:25]>> Oh, yeah?

[00:11:25]>> I remembered Nathan's voice that night before.

[00:11:28]>> Mhm.

[00:11:28]>> I longed desperately to escape.

[00:11:30]>> Okay. Interesting.

[00:11:32]>> We became the best of friends.

[00:11:34]>> Really? Okay, hey, whatever, man. I'm here for this triangle. That's Who are you, man?

[00:11:40]And why do I feel like you're going to burst into song in a second? Like, what's that about?

[00:11:43]>> Sophie loved to tell how Nathan saved her life.

[00:11:46]>> Yeah.

[00:11:46]>> Their meeting was, for her, a miracle.

[00:11:49]>> I imagine you feel like you owe a lot to that kind of person, regardless of how they act.

[00:11:53]>> And the mortality.

[00:11:54]>> Yeah, and also this idea of life and death, right? Nathan at the beginning, we are dying. And now this, immortality.

[00:11:59]Existential question. Uh is the choice, whatever it is, is it going to be down to, I don't know, something involving death? You might argue so, considering I know I mean, God, it's crazy. I don't know what the choice is, but like, people have mentioned Sophie's Choice.

[00:12:15]It's such a It's such an inclusion into pop culture, you know, into society, general society. I feel like people who haven't seen the film know the phrase.

[00:12:23]Which is kind of crazy.

[00:12:25]>> All I want >> You okay, mate? Yeah, what is he giving you?

[00:12:28]>> There is no American poet by the name of Dickens.

[00:12:31]>> Okay, mate, she didn't know. You're too American for that much sass, mate.

[00:12:34]That's reserved for English people alone. I'm so sorry.

[00:12:36]>> I'm sure American poet >> Oh.

[00:12:38]>> Emile Dickens.

[00:12:40]>> That's so interesting. For the first time in this film, she's showing a little bit of backbone. Right? What is this psychologically for her character?

[00:12:48]She's being stifled in her personal life, all all aspects of her life, and now she's alone, no one recognizes her, and what? Some of that inner fire, inner personality is coming through. Her whole life is a lesson in restriction. This is almost an exercise in individuality, in taking that a taste of that for herself, exercising it in a safe place where no one's going to recognize, you know?

[00:13:12]Nathan's not here. Bless her.

[00:13:14]She's screaming out for independence, autonomy, and she's not getting it. I mean, I can imagine this is going to bubble bubble bubble, perhaps all film, and come out in some explosion perhaps at some point. We shall see.

[00:13:28]Oh, mate.

[00:13:30]You were that fast?

[00:13:31]>> Let the doctor take care of everything.

[00:13:33]>> You're not sure, though.

[00:13:34]>> How did you get to be so beautiful?

[00:13:36]>> Not relevant right now, though, is it really?

[00:13:38]>> I think that guy to die.

[00:13:40]>> Yeah, we all got there, though.

[00:13:45]Oh, I see. Life and death, eh? He's kind of giving you life in a certain respect, in the sense of the wonder he gives you.

[00:13:53]The echo of autonomy and independence that he gives you.

[00:13:57]Not true, but if you're coming from a perspective of that little value in yourself, I can absolutely understand on a human level why she is taking so much solace here.

[00:14:07]>> Are you glad I was a doctor?

[00:14:09]>> No.

[00:14:09]>> Yeah, no, we know. We've had this conversation, mate.

[00:14:11]>> Have you been eating properly lately?

[00:14:13]>> So, I eat more good. No.

[00:14:15]>> Right.

[00:14:16]>> I mean, could have fallen behind with iron.

[00:14:17]>> That doesn't mean you're eating well, mate. Just means you were eating particularly badly before.

[00:14:24]Oh, wait. Have we gone back in time?

[00:14:26]>> We're having calves liver in a special vinaigrette sauce?

[00:14:28]>> Yeah, I don't think he's purposefully a bad person. I don't think he's necessarily sabotaging her, by the way.

[00:14:34]Maybe, but >> When you live a good life like a saint and then you die.

[00:14:40]>> Mhm. Now we have it more openly in the dialogue, the meaning of life. What are we here for? When you live a good life and then you die.

[00:14:47]>> We're in a concentration camp.

[00:14:49]>> Yeah.

[00:14:50]It shifts.

[00:14:52]I was going to mention it before. It kind of shifts from our guy at the beginning, Stingo, to her, from one scene to the other. And I was like, oh, that's kind of cool how they've kind of seamlessly done that, cuz I suddenly was in just from Sophie's point of view, uh, and didn't really register it. It was done quite seamlessly. But him asking all of the questions, did we go back before Stingo got here?

[00:15:11]>> Emily Dickinson?

[00:15:13]Oh, no.

[00:15:15]>> You're close, though.

[00:15:16]>> Let no sun rise.

[00:15:17]>> Uh, positively romantic.

[00:15:20]>> Seemed the answer to my relentless, all-consuming horniness.

[00:15:24]>> Okay.

[00:15:25]>> Completely frigid. Can you imagine?

[00:15:27]>> What a turn. Okay.

[00:15:28]>> Now all I can do is think about him.

[00:15:30]Wilhelm Reich.

[00:15:31]>> She's on board. Fair enough.

[00:15:32]>> Sex on the brain.

[00:15:34]>> You need to take another position, mate.

[00:15:35]You're not up on anyone here.

[00:15:36]>> Leslie Lapidus.

[00:15:38]>> How do you say tongue twister fair play?

[00:15:39]Say that five times. You know what I mean?

[00:15:41]>> Thanks.

[00:15:43]>> Oh, yeah, let's build that tension. Why not?

[00:15:45]>> I don't know. Let's see.

[00:15:47]>> Yeah, man man can't function. Dear Lord.

[00:15:51]Okay.

[00:15:52]>> Fantastic [ __ ] >> Do you want to say it again just for good measure? Why not, eh? Treat yourself.

[00:15:58]Right, Stingo. You can't last like 10 seconds now, mate. You've got to put in a good performance.

[00:16:04]You both like you both need this and then I'm invested now.

[00:16:07]>> Ah, hello mother.

[00:16:08]>> Haha, boner killer. Sorry, she might be hot. I don't know.

[00:16:11]>> Yes, daddy.

[00:16:12]>> Hello. Go on.

[00:16:13]>> Your little princess will be good.

[00:16:15]>> Okay.

[00:16:16]>> Fine.

[00:16:16]>> That Leslie and I would be left to frolic in this place alone.

[00:16:20]>> There we go.

[00:16:20]>> My cup ran over.

[00:16:22]>> Look, man, you just got to [ __ ] >> turned into a spillway.

[00:16:25]>> Mhm.

[00:16:25]>> The spotless carpet.

[00:16:27]>> Hello. Not spotless for long, eh?

[00:16:28]>> You ever read D.H. Lawrence?

[00:16:30]>> I'm going to be honest with you, Leslie.

[00:16:32]He's glancing down at your ankle every so often and hard as a rock. That's all I'll say. Hey, man.

[00:16:37]Can we bring back a little [ __ ] ankle?

[00:16:39]That's what I'm saying. It's the little things, isn't it? By the way, you see that ankle? You know what I'm doing. Take notes.

[00:16:46]>> He knows so much about [ __ ] >> Oh, yeah.

[00:16:49]>> He says that we can go to the dark gods.

[00:16:52]>> You have my attention. Let's go to the dark gods. Yeah, let's meet those [ __ ] Okay.

[00:17:00]Leslie, what do you want?

[00:17:03]Ah, Stingo. You tried, mate. Yeah. What I mean, this might be a no, though.

[00:17:06]Let's just pull off and reassess, you know.

[00:17:12]Is she a vet?

[00:17:13]Is she a virgin? Does she know how this works or >> What in the going to do with the right ass? WHAT IS GOING ON?

[00:17:20]>> FAIR. I MEAN, FAIR. Go on. It's okay. We can have a conversation.

[00:17:23]>> Can't go all the way.

[00:17:23]>> What okay. You religious?

[00:17:25]>> I waited to plant two in my analysis.

[00:17:27]>> Right.

[00:17:28]>> I could never have said any of those words.

[00:17:29]>> Look, I'll be on like Okay, Leslie, valid, fair play. You can back off saying no whenever you want and that's fair. We got to stand by that absolutely. Stingo, I'm so sorry for the blue balls. That is that is like a monumental blue ball moment. Dear Lord, you got to take care of that somewhere else, but Oh my god.

[00:17:45]Oh, poor Stingo.

[00:17:47]>> No, I'm completely able to vocalize.

[00:17:49]>> Good for you.

[00:17:53]>> Yeah, that's good safe.

[00:17:54]>> But she could not do it.

[00:17:56]>> Damn. Hey, hey, it is what it is, man.

[00:17:58]>> Nathan, I'm so glad you're >> Don't touch him right now. He's got to take care of business.

[00:18:03]>> You want to come up and have a night hat with me?

[00:18:05]>> Right now, you'll have whatever you want, mate. Although, be careful. All it takes is a little touch and he's gone, you know.

[00:18:11]>> You look very nice. You're wearing YOUR [ __ ] SUCKER.

[00:18:15]>> IT'S my seersucker.

[00:18:16]>> [ __ ] sucker's got a better ring to it though, aren't it?

[00:18:18]>> I'll bide my time. Just needs to be left alone.

[00:18:21]>> I think oh, Stingo, he is so young. He doesn't have any real real problem.

[00:18:25]>> Mhm. 12-year-old boy.

[00:18:27]>> It's all it's autobiographical.

[00:18:29]>> He's a bit old enough to be fed on.

[00:18:30]>> Yeah, well, to a certain extent, maybe it is.

[00:18:33]>> Yeah. What's it about?

[00:18:34]>> Which is the year his mother dies.

[00:18:35]>> You loved her very much.

[00:18:36]>> I did not not enough.

[00:18:38]>> You were 12, mate. You're beating yourself up about that, aren't you?

[00:18:41]>> What is what is so terrible about her?

[00:18:43]>> Memory?

[00:18:43]>> Outliving those people that we love.

[00:18:45]That guilt.

[00:18:46]>> Part of life though, isn't it?

[00:18:48]>> My husband.

[00:18:50]>> Hello.

[00:18:50]>> I was married to a disciple.

[00:18:52]>> I'm curious if Nathan knows this actually. We got the scenes before this where he was he was like, I want to know you, I want to know everything about you, and she wouldn't open up, and yet she invites Stingo in and tells him that. I mean, again, Nathan might know that, too, but I wonder. Does she feel safer with Stingo than Nathan? Is that >> Disciple of my father, assistant at university.

[00:19:13]>> Disciple.

[00:19:14]>> I was anti-Nazi writing.

[00:19:16]>> Did she say anti-Nazi though? She just said Nazi. He wrote about Nazis now. Was he pro? She used the word disciple, ambiguous term.

[00:19:24]>> They was loading them into the truck and and they see my father's face and the face of my husband behind him.

[00:19:30]>> Mate, you lost everything that day, huh?

[00:19:32]>> I never saw those faces again.

[00:19:34]>> Mate.

[00:19:35]>> Your mother?

[00:19:37]>> Very sick, you know. If I could get me a ham under my skirt on the train then pretending that I'm pregnant.

[00:19:43]German take under my skirt as ham and >> Wow. What?

[00:19:48]>> So they sent me to Auschwitz.

[00:19:50]>> Dude, okay. Damn, that sucks.

[00:19:52]>> You sent to Auschwitz cuz you stole a ham.

[00:19:54]>> Crazy.

[00:19:55]>> You know what that means?

[00:19:57]>> In Auschwitz?

[00:19:57]>> No, it was after that.

[00:19:59]>> Going back to normal life after an event like that and losing everybody, hard.

[00:20:04]>> They try to help you.

[00:20:05]>> That was a trauma. Bless you, mate.

[00:20:07]>> Christ had turned his face away from me.

[00:20:11]>> Right.

[00:20:12]>> Only a Jesus who no longer cared for me could >> Would >> kill those people that I loved to leave me alive.

[00:20:19]>> Oh, mate.

[00:20:20]>> I didn't die, of course.

[00:20:22]>> Your hand is very wandering, sir.

[00:20:24]>> Just trust me.

[00:20:26]>> It's a really lovely moment. I kind of don't want them to >> Very nice.

[00:20:30]>> Okay, it was threatening a little bit of romance and I was like I don't want it to go that way. This is a lovely platonic moment where he's being there.

[00:20:35]Wow, he really just >> A bastard, you know.

[00:20:39]>> Our bastard.

[00:20:41]>> Oh god.

[00:20:42]>> Oh, we're in his room.

[00:20:43]>> He doesn't like for me to call him at work.

[00:20:46]>> Huh.

[00:20:47]>> Anyway, I did it an hour ago.

[00:20:49]>> Mhm.

[00:20:50]>> It was no answer, so >> Oh, what a [ __ ] >> Once he came back he had a black eye, jaw was all swollen there.

[00:20:56]>> Bad boy, huh? Yeah.

[00:20:57]>> I think that I should call the police.

[00:20:59]>> Okay, well, you spiral quick, mate. You got a >> He's obsessed with the Nazis that are escaping justice.

[00:21:05]>> Is Is the reason he gave you?

[00:21:06]>> No, it's fault that he >> It's not your fault.

[00:21:09]>> Don't you think that I am angry? You know you don't understand, Nathan.

[00:21:12]>> And you have to live with that every day of your life.

[00:21:14]>> Sometimes I think >> What do you think?

[00:21:16]Oh, that's bad timing. Hello.

[00:21:18]>> What do you think, Polish baby?

[00:21:20]>> Don't like your tone. Relax.

[00:21:21]>> Oh, I'm all right, but what about the two of you?

[00:21:23]>> Well, he's horny, but unrelated to Sophie, to be fair. But you could have walked in when she was pining for you, but you didn't. What's that about?

[00:21:29]>> I'm onto something in the works, something big.

[00:21:31]>> It's wonderful, Nathan.

[00:21:33]>> Oh.

[00:21:35]>> What the [ __ ] >> Okay, Nathan.

[00:21:37]>> You were here.

[00:21:38]>> He does live here.

[00:21:39]>> With Sophie.

[00:21:40]>> She also lives here.

[00:21:41]>> He was a very good friend to to me.

[00:21:43]>> He was, the platonic kind.

[00:21:46]Nathan made eye some intense eye contact. You can't relax here. Yeah, yeah, okay. Yeah, we're fine, right?

[00:21:52]Yeah, okay.

[00:21:53]>> Sanctum sanctorum.

[00:21:55]>> Dr. Strange.

[00:21:56]>> You know all of Nathan's dark and dour secrets.

[00:21:58]>> No, we've not picked around at all, actually. What secrets?

[00:22:01]>> He wiped out six and the world let them escape.

[00:22:04]>> Uh, right. So, that is genuine.

[00:22:07]>> Think of all the best friend. Why do you do that? He deserves only our thanks.

[00:22:10]>> Oh, what pure soul. Yeah, Nathan's such an interesting character cuz it's like at face value it's such an interesting choice to show him at the beginning of the film, his first introduction cuz he is very unpleasant. And I think as the audience coming in you're like, "Okay, he's horrible." And I think, you know, I still stand by that. I think it makes you inherently suspicious of him throughout the film, right? I wonder if the film's going to subvert that a little bit. I mean, it kind of kind of already has here. If indeed he's telling the truth or not.

[00:22:37]I don't know.

[00:22:39]Hiding the reason for all of it, all of the Nazi stuff. The obvious suspicion is actually that he is a Nazi or supports them, whatever. We'll see. But I think in some way it's almost more interesting if he's genuine cuz it's like I think that's something that everybody watching this film can kind of get behind is this anger at the Nazis, you know, cuz they did.

[00:23:01]There was a lot of them that kind of got away with it or were employed by the US, right? For example, and a feat something of a vigilante. I mean, he's going on nighttime excursions, coming back with bruises. Is he actually finding Nazis or just beating up on people and telling himself that they are, right?

[00:23:18]But, anyway, all the same, it supplies like a really interesting foil for his character alongside of the the other stuff. He's sort of with an example of this amalgamation of humanity that's not really good, not really bad, but kind of both.

[00:23:30]If that's the case, you know, which I think can so often be the truth when it comes to humanity, humans. This film so far does seem to be a little bit of a an exploration of the human condition in some way.

[00:23:41]>> Thank you for taking care of yourself.

[00:23:42]>> Yeah. There we go. He's back on course, okay? Cuz there is a sweet man if one of the the kind of the sweet scenes that we've seen him in is genuine and not some ulterior motive, right? There's a sweetness to Nathan, too.

[00:23:53]>> Darling, I'm home.

[00:23:54]>> Mhm.

[00:23:56]Oh. Oi, oi.

[00:23:58]>> Don't you catch things in the south?

[00:24:00]>> Dude, you did you give him no warning.

[00:24:01]>> Think fast.

[00:24:03]>> What?

[00:24:03]>> How's it going?

[00:24:04]>> Yeah, fine.

[00:24:05]Thank you.

[00:24:06]>> I'm glad you let me take a look at those.

[00:24:07]>> I don't think he wants you here, mate.

[00:24:08]He's very precious about his writing, I think.

[00:24:10]>> You mean you're just terrified that somebody won't like it.

[00:24:12]>> Little bit, but aren't we all?

[00:24:13]>> That which renders the victim unique.

[00:24:15]>> All right. Awesome.

[00:24:16]>> That'll give you some idea.

[00:24:17]>> This is his baby. Now, be very careful, Nathan.

[00:24:20]>> What about the page in the typewriter?

[00:24:21]>> Dude, he just gave YOU A BIT >> NATHAN!

[00:24:24]>> ACTUAL MENACE.

[00:24:26]YEAH.

[00:24:26]>> BINGO.

[00:24:28]I MEAN, it's good that you can't write.

[00:24:29]>> Oh.

[00:24:30]>> Yeah, out the window.

[00:24:33]That's kind of hilarious, though. Nice.

[00:24:35]Hello. Go, mate. Come on. Parkour.

[00:24:37]Window. Should have followed him.

[00:24:38]>> They can have all of this and they can take you to the movies.

[00:24:40]>> While he reads.

[00:24:41]>> While he reads that.

[00:24:42]>> Oh god. Oh god. Dude, I'd be terrified.

[00:24:45]I'd be terrified. This is the thing.

[00:24:47]There's no other copy of that in the world other than the one that he's typing in, you know? We take for granted a little bit. You write something, it's on your PC, you can back it up, it's there, right? You lose it, you lose it, you lose the physical copy. It's fine, you got you got a copy. That copy goes I don't know if I trust Nathan then.

[00:25:02]Okay.

[00:25:03]We shall see.

[00:25:03]>> He must have finished reading then.

[00:25:05]>> I really hope he likes it for your sake, Stingo.

[00:25:10]Maybe he loved it, dude. Oh, he's doing exactly what I thought, yeah.

[00:25:14]He's just a goofy little gopher really, isn't he?

[00:25:21]It's kind of funny the film is kind of like coming from this perspective of like showing you that first scene of Nathan and being like, right, let's make the audience like him. Can we do that, you know?

[00:25:30]Cuz I kind of feel I do feel quite enamored towards him, I'll be honest with you. Not to deny all of the problematic stuff that I have mentioned, that's valid, too. But like I say, he's such a an interesting study in character.

[00:25:45]This feels like good news, Stingo, mate.

[00:25:47]>> Which so many great American writers have stood in.

[00:25:49]>> He's very extra. I love it.

[00:25:50]>> Welcome Stingo to that pantheon of the gods.

[00:25:53]>> Really? That good? Awesome.

[00:25:56]Dude, what a height, MAN.

[00:25:58]>> TO STINGO.

[00:26:00]>> OKAY.

[00:26:00]>> LIFE-ENLARGING MENTOR.

[00:26:02]Nathan was fatally glamorous.

[00:26:05]>> Kind of, yeah. Dude, WHAT'S THE CHOICE?

[00:26:11]>> IS IT IN THE WHOLE WORLD OR NOT?

[00:26:13]>> OH.

[00:26:13]>> Greatest medical advances of all time.

[00:26:16]>> Okay.

[00:26:17]>> I can't tell you.

[00:26:18]>> Mate, really? Blue balling of another kind.

[00:26:20]>> The three of us together.

[00:26:21]>> I hope it works out cuz otherwise this might destroy you, mate.

[00:26:24]>> Put it on. Put it on. Put it on. Put it on.

[00:26:25]>> He's a bit of a cute friend, isn't he?

[00:26:27]He's very cute, he's very nice, very sweet.

[00:26:29]>> It doesn't have a top.

[00:26:30]>> You're the top.

[00:26:31]>> Are you the bottom?

[00:26:32]>> Tonight I'll look at it.

[00:26:33]>> Oh.

[00:26:34]Dude, I keep waiting for him to just turn and just kiss Stingo the exact same.

[00:26:38]>> Is it?

[00:26:38]>> You know.

[00:26:39]>> Tonight.

[00:26:39]>> Oh, dude. And again, honestly, it's got threple energy.

[00:26:44]>> Get the champagne.

[00:26:45]>> I feel like something's gone wrong and it's going to be really morose. I don't know why.

[00:26:48]>> Well, champagne rosé. Is it got champagne?

[00:26:50]>> Hang on, wait, wait, wait. It might be Yasha again, or Astrid.

[00:26:53]IT'S NOT. OKAY.

[00:26:55]OH, HE LOOK He doesn't look okay.

[00:26:59]Yeah?

[00:26:59]>> I'm going to get you that champagne.

[00:27:01]>> All right.

[00:27:02]>> Yeah.

[00:27:02]>> Very sweaty. What have you been doing?

[00:27:04]>> Beautiful.

[00:27:05]Look at you.

[00:27:06]>> I becoming.

[00:27:07]>> Mhm. I tell you what I become you more.

[00:27:10]>> Oh, but the only thing I absolutely demand of you >> What is this switch that keeps happening with you, mate? What's What are you doing and going out and coming back and >> that I would break your ass.

[00:27:19]>> Ooh.

[00:27:20]>> Soon, he brings you home again in his car.

[00:27:22]>> Yeah, but >> for the gift they give him the give him the watch now. This is >> He spent the whole afternoon with him.

[00:27:28]>> Wow. Okay. Insecure. Damn.

[00:27:30]>> How do you know How do you know he took her home? What have you been doing? You follow her all afternoon?

[00:27:33]>> Yeah, good question.

[00:27:35]>> I think you're going to feel like a fool in a second. Just find out why he took her home.

[00:27:37]>> Yeah.

[00:27:37]>> Don't.

[00:27:38]>> What?

[00:27:40]Yeah, he's probably not going to like that, is he?

[00:27:41]>> Defending the little [ __ ] [ __ ] >> Buddy, I want to like you. You are You are not helping.

[00:27:46]>> Look, I'm not going to let you alone with her. You don't understand you're not >> Good man.

[00:27:49]>> I don't know what's come over me. Here's to my best friend.

[00:27:52]>> Waiting for the blow-up.

[00:27:53]>> Well, I got you anyway.

[00:27:54]>> I love it.

[00:27:55]>> I feel very tense.

[00:27:57]>> This toast is in honor >> Like, are you drunk? Not that that would excuse the behavior, but >> from you two creeps.

[00:28:03]>> Okay. I need to know what's going on with you, mate. I'm very looking forward to it.

[00:28:06]>> I don't listen to self-pity.

[00:28:08]>> Okay.

[00:28:09]>> We're dead in the water.

[00:28:10]>> Okay.

[00:28:10]>> Knock it off, Nathan.

[00:28:11]>> Yeah, knock it right off there. Sorry.

[00:28:13]Getting all riled up, mate.

[00:28:14]>> And hey, why don't we violate Auschwitz?

[00:28:17]>> Like, when he does this, he's so [ __ ] up. Like, invoking Auschwitz while his hand is where it is, doing what he's doing. It's gross. It's horrible. It's sick. It's really interesting, actually, cuz I'm talking about this idea of the changing, the shifting of him.

[00:28:33]And how she's, because of where she's coming from in her in her inner value, being so low and why she, you know, has attached herself to him in certain ways.

[00:28:44]But, I I the film is kind of going meta a little bit. It's kind of doing the same to you as the audience. It's showing you all of him. You know, it's showing you I think it does it I think it does a really really good job of enamoring you towards him to the point that you sort of start to forget, you know, the start of the film how it opens. I think how it opens showing Nathan and Sophie that way. That's your first impression. It's so important for I feel like what the film is going for in terms of the depiction of of Nathan and then doing such a good job of enamoring you towards him to the point that you like him genuinely like him. There's you know, one scene after the other and he's just pure unadulterated charm. And then this is so like I say opposite end of the spectrum and it gives you that feeling almost of being Sophie. The back and forth, the dichotomy of him, the danger and horrible horrid nature that he clearly has in him next to the charm and the love and the the gravitas. I feel as much as I'm going to feel like Sophie as I possibly can as the audience by the way that it's been written and presented to us. That's really clever cuz I feel like I understand Sophie a lot more through that experience.

[00:29:53]>> Did you say anti-Semitism or blaming his game?

[00:29:56]>> You're blaming her for that?

[00:29:57]>> Protect you in a manner of speaking so that you'll become one of the minuscule handful of people who lived.

[00:30:01]>> Wow, you're blaming her for living through it. That's crazy.

[00:30:05]>> EXPLANATION, PLEASE.

[00:30:07]>> YOU CAN'T fathom that she was just lucky and that's not even to say that she was.

[00:30:11]She's riddled bless her validly so with trauma. It follows her the the her whole life now. We've seen the scars on her wrist. She said it was afterwards.

[00:30:21]Vile, he's vile. But he's clearly got you know, he's also clearly got deep problems within himself, too. Doesn't justify it and kind of curious where it comes from. Is it just the fact that we're off World War II? What that meant, what the Nazis did and the fact that he's a Jew? Is that where all this anger is coming from?

[00:30:38]MAYBE.

[00:30:38]>> I'LL EXPLAIN.

[00:30:40]>> STINGO, THANK YOU.

[00:30:41]>> SHE IS THE DAUGHTER of Professor Beganski. I heard him lecture once, that was enough.

[00:30:46]>> Oh, what did he lecture on?

[00:30:47]>> He was very outspoken about the Nazis.

[00:30:50]>> Yeah.

[00:30:50]>> He was crazy about the Nazis.

[00:30:52]>> Which way?

[00:30:53]>> I think because they hated Jews as much as he did.

[00:30:57]>> I said >> They came one day clean sweep of all academics.

[00:31:00]>> Didn't save me.

[00:31:01]>> Stopped to check their political convictions.

[00:31:04]>> The leopard won't eat my face. And so what, Sophie is fooling herself?

[00:31:10]Maybe remembering or didn't know. You'd argue she must have She must have sat in a lecture.

[00:31:16]I wonder if the husband thing is true as well. We'll see.

[00:31:19]>> He had inherited a small farm, proposed that I come back south and live on it.

[00:31:23]>> Dude, that sounds so awesome. Have a peaceful life, seriously. Yeah, what an interesting addition to the complexities of identity Sophie, you know. It feels like she didn't perhaps share her father's opinions or if she did it was just to kind of get on with him maybe, didn't really feel it. She seems like a lovely but we'll see. But like this is what I'm getting at. Is she lying to herself about it, you know, papering over the truth with the truth that she would prefer, telling people that he was a good man or did she share his views and she genuinely thinks it and she's just you know and just not being open about why. Could go either way. I guess this question at the bottom of it of it all being this amalgamation of identity that Sophie is so complex and how do you deal with all that? She's got a lot of uh seems self-hate, you know, lack of value we talked about. What has it made of her and where does she go with it? And I mean I guess where we've seen that. She seems happy at various points but is she truly?

[00:32:26]Arguments to be be made as to no. Very dependent isn't she on Nathan? Maybe the fact that he's a Jew is it is part of her attachment to him to almost almost like penance like, you know, an apology for her father.

[00:32:40]Maybe I'm reaching, I don't know.

[00:32:44]Oh, very drunk, huh?

[00:32:46]>> She used to work for a language professor there.

[00:32:48]>> Yes.

[00:32:48]>> It is that thing. Sorry, I'm I'm I'm watching and I'm like, who are you? I don't know. And it's so interesting how we have this film and it's, you know, there's so much uh related to identity, who are we?

[00:32:58]Uh I love I love that the film at this point is now has now got me, you know, you kind of feel like you know who she is and then all of that thrown into uh the wind a little bit. To the point that now I'm like, who are you? Does she even know, you know?

[00:33:13]Maybe not. Such a cool film for that.

[00:33:15]>> He heard him lecture once.

[00:33:17]>> Let's get into it.

[00:33:18]>> Sophie, why did you lie to me?

[00:33:19]>> Easier?

[00:33:20]>> I was so afraid.

[00:33:21]>> Oh, yeah, I mean, yeah.

[00:33:23]>> I would be left alone.

[00:33:24]>> Oh, the sins of your father aren't yours, mate. Yeah, but people are people. Yeah, I get you.

[00:33:29]Bless her. Okay. But dealing with that feeling so attached as I feel like she is to it. I think she feels a lot of guilt, unfounded. She shouldn't, but I feel like she does and it's probably shaped a lot of her identity, especially post-Auschwitz.

[00:33:41]>> The truth does not make it easier to understand.

[00:33:44]>> Mhm.

[00:33:45]>> I don't even know what is the truth.

[00:33:47]>> Right, you really lost yourself a little bit.

[00:33:49]>> The role is lies I have told.

[00:33:51]>> How that can shape a person. Never too late, though.

[00:33:54]>> I loved my father.

[00:33:55]>> Yeah. I mean, you've got your father then there's the lecturer and I think to you, who was the father for a very long time, it's hard to get rid of that. Can you? Maybe not. Probably not.

[00:34:04]>> My father believed that human perfection was possibility.

[00:34:08]>> Right. And dependent on the definition of perfection can lead to a lot of hate and ostracization of various minorities or groups, right? Can see how we got there.

[00:34:17]>> Always making a disappointment to my father.

[00:34:20]>> Mhm.

[00:34:20]>> But I hate my father beyond all words to tell it.

[00:34:23]>> Right.

[00:34:23]>> Ordinarily, I typed those speeches.

[00:34:25]>> Ugh.

[00:34:26]>> Exterminacja.

[00:34:27]>> Oh.

[00:34:28]>> The solution for Poland Jewish problem, extermination.

[00:34:32]>> Yeah. That's crazy. That's a crazy conclusion to like come to, isn't it?

[00:34:36]Just let people live, man. Jeez.

[00:34:38]>> make so many mistakes in their sentences >> They change it, just completely change it.

[00:34:42]>> father has no time to check that before speaking.

[00:34:45]>> Wait. Did you change it to like be positive and then he and then people got word and to the Nazis it seemed like he was a Jewish sympathizer or something like >> And in front of him and all his colleague he said >> This can't be good.

[00:34:58]>> Zosha >> Yeah.

[00:35:01]>> Your intelligence is pulp.

[00:35:05]>> Mate, honestly, the stupidest people can't comprehend intelligence. This is the problem.

[00:35:10]This is genuine I'm not even getting that is genuinely the problem, but they don't know they're stupid. You know like case in point. Like there'll be two baskets before them. Do you know what I mean? One with apples, one with oranges and they'll straight up to your face go there's [ __ ] pears there, mate.

[00:35:20]Pears. Do you mean pears? There's no pears, man. Sorry.

[00:35:25]But like genuinely, you see it all the time online. People like coming to conclusions based on like false data or illiteracy, you know, major major illiteracy or whatever it might be and you're like buddy, no no no no no no no no.

[00:35:36]You're working you work This is why at school they they told us to show the working, mate. That's what I'm saying.

[00:35:42]Okay? That's why we were tested on it.

[00:35:43]Oh, the internet is just one unsupervised playground of no one being marked on their working. That's what I'm saying.

[00:35:51]>> pulp >> I can understand why you've got a value problem in yourself.

[00:35:55]>> After that he didn't trust me anyway.

[00:35:57]>> [ __ ] him.

[00:35:57]>> Neither did my husband.

[00:35:59]>> Okay. Not in a good way, either. I like like I wish all of them were lesbian. Do you know what I mean? Bless her. Sorry.

[00:36:04]Sorry, Leslie.

[00:36:10]You have children?

[00:36:12]Dude, I have no idea. It sounds good to me, but I'm a dumb English person. Do you know what I mean? Like is her accent good? It sounds awesome, but Polish people chime in.

[00:36:19]>> The Gestapo killed Yosif.

[00:36:21]>> [ __ ] >> My children were sent with me to Auschwitz.

[00:36:25]Jan, my little boy >> Oh, man. Dude, I had no idea this film was about this.

[00:36:29]>> It was the children's camp.

[00:36:31]>> Oh, mate. I I used to be fire on the recorder.

[00:36:34]>> And my little girl Ava was sent to crematorium, too.

[00:36:37]>> [ __ ] Was she that bad? No, I shouldn't make a joke. That's bad. Jesus.

[00:36:42]Wow. Immediate beauty next to that horrible children playing.

[00:36:51]Back is believed, isn't it? Like how how do people get to this point? That they do this to their fellow human and people just go along with it.

[00:36:58]>> And it's mashed as now.

[00:36:59]>> Right. You went there, huh? Geez. Just casually giving her that fate.

[00:37:05]Unfortunately.

[00:37:11]Wow. I mean, absolutely. I think after World War I, Germany was gutted, which is now considered looking back at history that the allies sort of caused World War II, right? Radicalized, contributed to Hitler's rise and enamoring towards the German public. What he said there is not necessarily wrong. Horrible way to go, you know, throwing out all your your humanity for it. Like there's no humanizing what the Germans did. Geez.

[00:37:37]Aw, whack him. Sorry.

[00:37:40]Yes, with a bottle. Let's go.

[00:37:42]You want a little baby.

[00:37:45]Fate. Religious backbone to that comment. Highlighting the dangers of religion, right? I mean her talking previously about if God consigned me to that, like I can't make sense of it, then, you know, he hates me or whatever else, right? Absolutely contributes to this sense of value. So dangerous.

[00:38:10]Hey, I don't know that you can blame her.

[00:38:15]Wow. So thoughtless, so lacking in any intelligence at one statement. Worst thing in the world giving stupid people power.

[00:38:26]Do you Do you think The Aryan thing is so weird, man.

[00:38:31]Imagine being so rigid that you think of one Like the idea of attraction to you being one thing is crazy to me. Crazy.

[00:38:41]Like honestly, the sign of conformity and it's interesting Nathan was talking about, you know, this thing of conformity non-conformity, right? It's the biggest character trait of being a sheep in society, a sheep of society of finding one thing and one thing alone attractive. God, it's so narrow-minded.

[00:38:59]So narrow-minded.

[00:39:01]And no thought to personality or anything of the sort. We're so allergic to being free, aren't we? Cuz I mean, I'm saying this about a Nazi, but people, you know, beauty standards exist today. People are like this today, too.

[00:39:14]You know, not to conflate it with Nazis necessarily. I'm just saying, you know, this one thing that he is saying.

[00:39:20]Oh God, sorry, dude. Yeah.

[00:39:27]I know I believe you, you sweaty creep.

[00:39:34]Yes.

[00:39:37]That's just got The audacity on this [ __ ] Sorry, you just said you'd risk it all, mate.

[00:39:44]Prove it.

[00:39:46]Yeah, you just wanted to have a life.

[00:39:48]Bless you.

[00:39:51]Beautiful. Yeah, we're really seeing the depths of humanity explode now, deeper and deeper further we go in this film. Complexity, you know. And Sophie's kind of proclamation to Stingo, you don't know what it's like. Yeah, you can see why she is coming from that perspective.

[00:40:10]And why the reality of Nathan being as you know, back and forth as he is doesn't matter so much when he's got that good side.

[00:40:21]Damn. Any element of freedom next to this imprisonment is going to feel like so much more.

[00:40:32]Why closing the door, mate? What's that about?

[00:40:36]That's what you thought that she was going to do.

[00:40:41]Jesus, man. And through out of the mouth of babes.

[00:40:46]She wasn't this kid. She wasn't born like this. She's been raised.

[00:40:52]Is that a fake faint? To get her out of the situation?

[00:40:57]That's so interesting. Look how quickly this kid showed empathy. And yet, all of the the derogatory tone, all of the horrid things that she said before this are attributed to my mom said. Right? Which is such a demonstration of how this girl has been taught. And then when she has arrayed before her this organic, you know, elements of the human condition, a woman faints before her, she instantly goes into caring mode of this is a human being before me that is in need and I can help. And a child, as she is, is very simple.

[00:41:34]She gives herself to that, you know, this display of this child is not lost.

[00:41:39]This child is not bad, but she has been taught to be bad.

[00:41:44]And this film has been so full of influence, you know? So influenced by her father, her life, her guilt, her feeling, the the way that she is determining who she wants to be or who she is because of all of that. Right?

[00:41:59]And obviously, you know, this experience too. Fair enough, you know, God. But the film putting on the display these characters that are so turbulent with humanity. You can sort of understand Stingo being so innocent, right? This innocent little babe, bless him.

[00:42:16]Little cherub. But again, you can kind of understand why Sophie was the way that she was talking to him in in sort of highlighting that.

[00:42:22]>> You've been against baby.

[00:42:24]>> Yeah, look how quickly she's gone into you're a person, let's connect. I think that's you know, so important as that scene where we have Sophie listening and is it him that's talking about we don't have a choice, you know, to to after the First World War you weren't there, you were too young to to hoze or whatever hoze. And this idea, you know, of him justifying the barbarity of everything they're doing. Being like we don't have a choice.

[00:42:50]You know, we can't give in to our better natures. We have to be this way to to survive. All of these different ways, you know. And again, not to justify it, nothing justifies this. But we can talk about the reasons for it all day. Right?

[00:43:05]And I think there is a valid as as as historians have now talked about it.

[00:43:10]Uh as I've mentioned, right? This thing of after World War I and the treatment of Germany by the allies, you can trace that all the way back to to why World War II happened and this happened, right? And it is almost the film trying to demonstrate, not necessarily come down on one side or other or the other of it justifies it doesn't justify. It's not what that's not I don't think what it's trying to do. It's just trying to put it before you. All of these examples of humanity, what pulls us this way and this, you know, how we're influenced by the past. How Sophie has been influenced by the past. How Germany has been influenced by the past. How we get to these places that aren't good for us based on the past, based on fear, based on things that are taught to us. This kid, you know, how she was talking at the start of this scene.

[00:44:02]And how what happened, you know, Sophie collapsed and how she's now being shown to be, you know, one of these demonstrations of the film almost of humans as humans. Humans aren't inherently bad. There are reasons for it. Again, not to justify any of it, but there are reasons, you know, the way that you go from the start of the film.

[00:44:20]I went from the start of the film being like, "Sophie, have more value in yourself, you know?

[00:44:24]This isn't a good situation." But it's like now and now we're seeing all of this past, all of this stuff that kind of made her that way, you can understand why and and and in comparison to this it's lovely God, you know?

[00:44:38]Hey, you shouldn't settle for that God, you know?

[00:44:41]Dream a little bigger, dare to.

[00:44:43]But it gets it's got me into this place of God, I wish I was back there.

[00:44:48]I wish Nathan was here. Dear Lord. But again, this informing what we saw at the beginning and the reason for why she's like that, why she's accepting, you know, the treatment of Nathan, why she's constantly making excuses for him, defending him when she shouldn't.

[00:45:05]You can understand. Again, doesn't justify Nathan, doesn't justify this idea of staying with him, but you can understand the reason why. Anyway, waxed long enough about it, but I'm talking about it cuz I really like that. I really like that about the film and it is such all the way through and and the form of it too, the the you know, the the storytelling, the way it's been paced, the way it's been structured of, you know, starting where it where it did and showing us all of these different things, unpeeling, you know, those layers, going back into the past, showing all of the why of it. Such a beautiful story for that. And uh such a beautiful demonstration of the complexity of humanity and why.

[00:45:44]Bless her. Now she's defending her or protecting her.

[00:45:46]>> Justice had failed so many times in my life.

[00:45:49]>> Mate, you're doing so well to come through all of that, mate.

[00:45:52]>> You saved my son and he will have been saved.

[00:45:57]Hurst did not keep his word.

[00:45:59]>> Yeah, okay. Yeah, of course.

[00:46:01]Dear Lord.

[00:46:01]>> I never did know what happened to my little boy.

[00:46:05]That's why I didn't want to to live no more.

[00:46:09]>> Yeah, mate.

[00:46:10]>> Till Nathan came and >> Right.

[00:46:12]>> he made me live for him.

[00:46:14]>> And you sure he didn't do that?

[00:46:15]>> Live for me, Sophie.

[00:46:17]>> Oh, really? Okay. Be fair. Been sort of teasing it the entire film, really.

[00:46:22]Nathan.

[00:46:24]Right.

[00:46:27]Okay.

[00:46:30]Wow. Just right back where we started, eh?

[00:46:33]>> Nathan's brother brought us to arrange a meeting.

[00:46:35]>> What have you got to say?

[00:46:37]>> I've never met anybody more brilliant than Nathan.

[00:46:39]>> Damn dude, you need to get out more. I mean, fair though. Like again, >> Told you and Sophie that he's a research biologist.

[00:46:45]>> Is he not?

[00:46:46]>> Adviser.

[00:46:48]>> Oh.

[00:46:49]One thing after another, really. Innit?

[00:46:51]>> It's my brother's masquerade.

[00:46:53]>> Yeah, fair enough. That makes sense.

[00:46:55]>> He has no degree of any kind.

[00:46:56]>> No, mate. Sure he isn't.

[00:46:57]>> The truth is, he's quite mad.

[00:47:00]>> Cool. I mean, to be fair, we worked that out actually. Yeah. But like fully, or >> Even years ago back with our manifestations and then pow.

[00:47:06]>> Right.

[00:47:06]>> Oh, he has a job at Pfizer.

[00:47:09]>> Okay.

[00:47:09]>> I'm not sure Nathan would forgive me if he knew that I told you.

[00:47:11]>> Yeah, he's diagnosing Sophie, by the way.

[00:47:14]>> Made me swear never to tell Sophie. She knows nothing.

[00:47:16]>> Cool. That's probably harming her. Can we do something about that or >> Just that he was born the perfect child.

[00:47:22]>> So, what happened?

[00:47:23]>> He excelled in everything.

[00:47:25]>> This is interesting. What have we just had this example of kids being lovely and perfect and empathetic, intelligent, and we just can't resist messing them up a little bit, somehow, you know? A lot of time. Not all the time. But you get you get what I'm saying, right?

[00:47:43]>> So, he was the kind of child >> What happened?

[00:47:46]>> everyone prepares to take the credit for him.

[00:47:48]>> Right.

[00:47:49]>> Child genius was a paranoid schizophrenic.

[00:47:51]>> Okay.

[00:47:52]>> The only schools he attended were expensive funny farms.

[00:47:55]>> Not a kind society to those sort of kids in that time, eh? Poor Nathan.

[00:47:59]>> If he could stay off the drugs.

[00:48:00]>> Right, is that what it is? That makes sense.

[00:48:02]>> Yeah. Benzedrine, cocaine.

[00:48:04]>> Yeah.

[00:48:05]>> Keep tabs on him.

[00:48:06]>> Sophie should know this. Yeah, such a humanizing moment for Nathan. And again, doesn't justify his behavior.

[00:48:13]Tells you the why of it, though.

[00:48:15]And I think you get a lot of empathy for him. The film making a really good effort at explaining or giving the reasons, like humanizing, um trying to everything that's going on in this film. So, I think you arrive at this point in the film where it's like you can understand where she's come from, why she's here, and how this is giving her a lot of happiness. And I think it is, even though you can kind of, you know, from an outside perspective talk all day about like, I don't know if this is like ultimately healthy for you, mate. Um at the same time, Nathan's a vulnerable person, right? Society's not giving him the care that he should have. And he needs care, right? He deserves that.

[00:48:50]Seems anyway. Self-medicating, sure, right? He's a genius. It seems. You know, lack of uh degrees aside, his brother just said he was a genius child.

[00:48:59]Everyone was ready for him to do something, and what? That brain, that mind has cost him perhaps his sanity at certain points, right? And schizophrenia is something that needs to be dealt with, managed, uh and he needs help with that, right? And to a certain extent, Sophie is giving him that.

[00:49:17]She understands him. You know, again, doesn't justify what he's been what he's done, but it's the reason for it. And to a certain extent, it's up to Sophie as to whether she wants to be there for him and tolerate that, you know? Put up with that sort of behavior because she knows that he needs help. Yeah, it shouldn't necessarily be all on her shoulders to do that, but it's the '40s, man. You know, we could talk about it from the perspective of she's had a a very hard life, and by comparison, this seems brilliant. Is it the happiest she could ever be? Possibly not. But it is a slice of happiness and she's happy with it. And we have ourselves seen the uh beautiful person that Nathan also is, you know? Like I see in Nathan, it's not his fault. There is a lot to empathize with. He's clearly been gifted with a brain that tortures him and he's not been given the help.

[00:50:09]And so it's like we're arriving now at this place where the film has peeled back all of these layers and we I just see two people two complex humans before me that actually uh sort of lovely for each other in a certain way, right? And I feel like perhaps a lot of people will diverge perhaps on where they come down on on this. At various points in this film, you come down on like, "Oh god, poor Sophie." Oh god, now it's like, "Poor Nathan."

[00:50:35]You know, there were differences, sure.

[00:50:37]I don't think Sophie has particularly done anything that could be translated as bad morally, but at the same time Nathan's not necessarily responsible for the the bad that he's done, you know?

[00:50:48]Schizophrenia is a real thing.

[00:50:50]Yeah, anyway, once more the film adding to the complexity of the humanity at display is just intriguing, interesting, how it keeps shifting your expectations, subverting what you think you know.

[00:51:01]>> in marriage.

[00:51:02]>> You're constantly reevaluating these characters, these two.

[00:51:06]>> Till death us do part.

[00:51:07]>> Is it going to be a choice of Sophie between choosing him or Stingo?

[00:51:10]>> God damn you to hell forever.

[00:51:12]>> Oh, come on, Nathan. Re- relax.

[00:51:15]He just hung up. That's crazy. Okay.

[00:51:18]>> He was breaking my arm.

[00:51:19]>> Oh, man.

[00:51:20]>> Is he gone, Stingo?

[00:51:21]>> Go.

[00:51:21]>> I'm not talking to you.

[00:51:22]>> Back with your lover. Okay.

[00:51:26]>> I wish you would have stayed there.

[00:51:27]>> Nope, absolutely not, buddy.

[00:51:29]>> I'm afraid that you would die without me.

[00:51:31]>> And you feel like you owe it.

[00:51:32]>> Well, I'm taking you down to that farm.

[00:51:34]>> Nice. Peaceful.

[00:51:35]>> I love you very much, Sophie.

[00:51:37]>> Mhm.

[00:51:40]>> I want to marry you.

[00:51:41]>> Already? Okay.

[00:51:43]Don't think she's quite in the same place, mate, yet.

[00:51:45]>> She could live down there on that farm with me.

[00:51:47]>> Do you like the smell of pig [ __ ] mate?

[00:51:49]No, to be fair, it could be crops, I don't know.

[00:51:52]Oh god, dude. She's backing away.

[00:51:54]>> Too much stuff that you might that you might love me, too.

[00:51:56]>> Shouldn't have like really just loaded her up with all of that. To be fair, okay.

[00:52:00]>> Beyond the 30 years now.

[00:52:02]>> Dude, life starts at 30. Let's go.

[00:52:05]>> What do with an old Polish lady like me?

[00:52:07]>> You're not old. We got to stop this.

[00:52:11]What do you want, mate? What do you want?

[00:52:12]>> We could go down there, sure.

[00:52:15]>> Okay.

[00:52:15]>> We could live there for a while without getting married with >> Let's start slow.

[00:52:19]>> But later, you know.

[00:52:21]>> Good.

[00:52:21]>> We don't have to be married, just >> What? Big fella.

[00:52:24]>> You should know that there's a Christians down there.

[00:52:26]>> Ah, [ __ ] them. Sorry, I don't understand what you say like he's probably right.

[00:52:30]At the same time, you can pretend for a bit, maybe. Is that viable?

[00:52:32]>> Loved you a very long time.

[00:52:34]>> Okay, but for her, this is very new. So, you got to take that into account, buddy boy. Rather be >> It's not just the age difference, you know.

[00:52:42]>> Go on.

[00:52:42]>> You should have another mother.

[00:52:44]>> No.

[00:52:45]>> For your children.

[00:52:46]>> Okay.

[00:52:47]>> It would not be fair to your children to have me as a mother.

[00:52:50]>> Dude, you're so harsh on yourself.

[00:52:51]>> Sophie, they would be the luckiest children in the world.

[00:52:53]>> Sure, but she's got a lot of trauma, especially with children and having them and >> Mama, shut the door.

[00:52:57]>> Dude, also the title, and like I don't know. So, like let me know if you were around back then. You old fart.

[00:53:04]Sorry, that was rude. I'm kidding. But no, genuinely I'm I'm curious like cuz the title itself, Sophie's Choice, I feel like it's such a great title cuz it's like you must be going into that theater being like what's the choice?

[00:53:16]Why? Like very similar to how I went into the film. And obviously, I'm coming in because it's like there's so much um integration into society of Sophie's Choice, right? Of like how bad could it be that it integrated into society so deeply that people just use it as a turn of phrase. It's crazy. But even without that, like I feel like you're going to What was it like? What was it like? And I'm so sorry for the old fart. That was a joke. That was rude. That was rude, though. That was rude. That was That's on me. That's fair. Feel free to dislike the video.

[00:53:44]Do what you got to do. If not though, alternatively, feel free to like the video.

[00:53:48]But yeah, what was it like at the time?

[00:53:49]Was there that curiosity as you went into the third act being like, "What's it going to be?"

[00:53:54]>> It's social.

[00:53:56]>> They can't help They cannot help themselves, can they?

[00:54:00]She's like catnip, Tom. Ah, I feel bad about conflating narcissists with cats.

[00:54:03]That's fair.

[00:54:05]Dude, that little kid's 10 out of 10.

[00:54:07]Knocking out the park. What a face.

[00:54:10]Yeah, you act your heart out, dude.

[00:54:15]What?

[00:54:17]That's horrible.

[00:54:20]Oh, is this the choice?

[00:54:22]Oh, that's rough. Okay, that's rough.

[00:54:23]That's kind of rough. That's fair.

[00:54:27]She was acting her heart out, mate. I choose her. Sorry. It's easy.

[00:54:31]Dude, it's not that hard. Says I was right all the way back when.

[00:54:39]And she plays the recorder. Sorry, but just saying, mate, that's skill.

[00:54:44]I think you made the WRONG CHOICE, MAN.

[00:54:47]I WATCHED THE LITTLE BOY, DO you know what I mean? What's he got?

[00:54:50]Sorry, I'm being cavalier. This is awful. Meryl knocking that out of the park. Jesus, man. She's awesome. Like her performance is cracking.

[00:54:59]I can understand why after all of this, you wouldn't want to have kids.

[00:55:06]Yeah, I can imagine she feels so much guilt for that. It's not her fault. That was thrust on her by Captain [ __ ] Bless her. Life's been cruel.

[00:55:17]Yeah, Nathan's definitely not out of the picture. I feel like It's interesting. Obviously, the choice is huge. But, the film arguably is not really necessarily about the choice. I mean, well, at the same time, no, that's not true. Cuz what I was going to say was that the film is about everything that I've been talking about. I'm not going to repeat myself, but the complexity of the human condition, all of these wise as to how we are. Which what is that? What's what's what makes us what are all the wise? They're choices that we make, you know, based on these things, sure. Parentage, society, events that happen to us. There's choices in amongst it. As much as they're hard choices, they're still choices. And I think actually the choice, the a big choice, is almost a representation of what the film is going for, I feel like, in the series of wise, the series of choices as to what makes us the complex humans that we can be, you know. Sophie's Choice doesn't almost refer to that one choice. It refers to all of them, I feel like. That's would be my interpretation, or so. Actually, the the the story, the the film that we've got is so brilliantly encapsulated in that title. I just don't think it's so simple as to refer to one choice.

[00:56:28]>> I was 22 and a virgin.

[00:56:31]>> Right, you're really young. You were so young.

[00:56:33]>> My lust was in Dostoyevsky.

[00:56:36]It was a frantic attempt to beat back death.

[00:56:39]>> "We are dying," Nathan said. Yeah, makes a lot more sense now. Their lives have been so hard.

[00:56:45]>> I had to leave.

[00:56:46]>> Oh.

[00:56:47]>> But I must go back to Nathan.

[00:56:48]>> Damn. That makes sense. Now that I actually know his age, I mean, it makes sense, you know. I think his characterization is very reflective of a 22-year-old.

[00:56:58]But considering what we've seen, the past of of Sophie and and what we've become aware of and of Nathan's past, too. Is this the choice? I mean, this sort of feels like the choice as well. I That's what I mean. I think more and more and more that I see Sophie's Choice doesn't just refer to one, I feel like. You can apply it to, you know, this, too.

[00:57:19]Um but that makes sense. And I think I've done the work to to analyze um this film and their characters, Sophie's, Nathan's, and also, you know, the the He's so young, bless him.

[00:57:29]Stingo. And and he's lovely. But I think there is perhaps a little bit of a disconnect between Sophie, everything she's been through, and his, bless him, um greenness.

[00:57:41]I just I can understand why she's coming from a perspective of like this ain't going to work, you know?

[00:57:48]He's a virgin, bless him, and and it doesn't And he started the film by saying something along the lines of whatever you say out of I don't know if I'd ever find love. And and and I'd argue she's his first love. I'd say that's a pretty safe bet. Maybe it would have worked out. Maybe it would have been a beautiful life together. Equally, Nathan and Sophie, they're so similar in certain ways, in the hard life that they've lives that they've lived, and I'd say they're more compatible in certain ways than her and Stingo are, as much as he's a safer option. And there's perhaps more peace. I don't know, though. Would there be peace in that? For her specifically, considering what she's been through? Cuz she'd I don't know that she'd ever be able to give him what he wanted in marriage and kids.

[00:58:30]Considering I think, like I said, there's so much trauma for her in that life now. Can she overcome that? Should that be what she does? I mean, I don't know if should is the right word. She should do whatever she feels is right for her, whatever that is, you know?

[00:58:44]It's not really necessarily up to us from the outside perspective to judge that. I think she Only she can decide, and she's decided. And like I say, I think from what everything I've seen in this film, it makes sense.

[00:58:55]And like I say, there's there's more connection, I think, inherent in her and Nathan's relationship than there would be here.

[00:59:01]As hard as that may be, and as wrong as it might be, as all we could argue that might be.

[00:59:06]>> I must be with Nathan again, for whatever that mean.

[00:59:09]>> Mhm.

[00:59:09]>> You are a great lovers.

[00:59:11]>> That's beautiful. Yeah. And I think sometimes, um great lover, by the way, I don't think necessarily just means the physical here. I think it she means that in every sense of the word, actually. Um yeah, I think sometimes that's what life is. It's it's small events, even if they're fleeting. Um you know, you've got to learn to value them, even if they're there and they're gone and there's some sadness in the parting. You know, I think Sophie's life has taught her to to really cherish those moments, however fleeting they might be. Doesn't necessarily have to be a a full life of 50 years of marriage to to be beautiful and worthy. It can be, however long it's been. What we say, in 6 months to a year? I don't know how long. Something that was pure and beautiful and and organically human. You know, an experience that contained love and care and affection and it is just as worthy a short time as it's been as something that might have lasted a a little bit longer and I think sometimes we as humans need to remind ourselves of of that fact, that it's okay for that moment to be what it was and then go.

[01:00:11]>> They got a hold of the cyanide. They found it next to the bed.

[01:00:13]>> Oh, no.

[01:00:15]Both of them or was it just him or They're just letting him in. Okay.

[01:00:21]It's of course, yeah. Oh, man. Sophie's choice. Kind of was a bit of a choice between the two of them. This is horrible, tragic. Makes a horrible kind of sense though. I find myself feeling sorry for both of them. I think it's easy to assume that it was Nathan that did that, but I think there's every likelihood that it was mutual, considering the lives they lived in the pain they were in. The whole we're dying at the beginning, the staving it away.

[01:00:45]Together in the end blessing. There is something beautiful about that.

[01:00:48]>> I let go the rage and sorrow for Sophie and Nathan.

[01:00:51]>> Yeah, good for you.

[01:00:52]>> Few of the butchered and betrayed and martyred children of the earth.

[01:00:56]>> Yeah, yeah, that's what the film is about, man. Yeah, what a beautiful film for the testament of the human condition.

[01:01:04]>> This was not judgement day, only morning, excellent and fair.

[01:01:08]>> There you go. That's what you can do, that's what you can hope for. The next day, excellent of bare morning, you know, tomorrow. What is that? Future.

[01:01:15]Live every day like it's your last, live every day like it's brand new, finding your joy in it. It's what you can do.

[01:01:20]Past is the past, right?

[01:01:25]Oh, I still I enjoyed that. Yeah, honestly I think I've um all of the analysis, all of the commentary that I kind of made, I think sums up my thoughts, my feelings of the entire film. I film I don't think keeping you all here to retread that or repeat myself is is worthy of the time.

[01:01:40]So, with that said, if you did enjoy this video and you want more analysis commentaries of your favorite movies or whatever it might be, um please do subscribe down below if you haven't already. Like the video, please show it some love if you did enjoy. I got a bunch of movies to do movies at the moment every other Wednesday. Um if you want to reminisce on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, I'm also doing those at the weekend. But God, there's a ton of TV shows that I've also done, tons of movies like I said. So, hey, go wild. All that said and done, thank you so much for watching. If you do want early access to any of my videos, there is a link in the description down below.

[01:02:13]Um thank you. As always to my patrons and my YouTube members, thank you so much for your support. But hopefully, I'll see you next time.