How did Meryl Streep prepare for the decision scene in "Sophie's Choice" (1982)?

"If I go and pull something up that's part of my own personal pain, I'm not in charge of where it takes me. And it doesn't take me necessarily to the place where the film needs to go. The scene in Sophie's Choice where my character has to decide between her children is a good example. At that point in my life, I only had one child. I read the scene once, and I never read it again. I didn't want to think about it. I had memorized it because it was, like, engraved on my heart. When we shot it, I didn't want to do it again. I didn't want to be there. And we got it done. I didn't need to think about 'What if I had to leave my son?' I don't want to think at all!" More

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