Movie Review: The Color Purple

Regardless of the medium, the subject matter of The Color Purple is tough. Whether a book, a dramatized film, a musical on Broadway, or a film adaptation of that musical, it will always be a tough read or watch. The Color Purple looks at an African American teenager named Celine growing up in rural Georgia in the early 1900s and her tale of abuse, being continuously called ugly, teenage pregnancy, and growing up hoping she will one day be reunited with her sister. It’s a brutal subject matter, but throughout the film, you keep hoping Celine will get out of this hell, and by the end of it, there is joy and happiness for Celine as she becomes more liberated and starts to stand up for herself against her abusers.

I watched Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation before I saw the 2023 adaptation and this new adaptation, which adapts the musical play from 2005, is better than Spielberg’s film in every way possible, and this is coming from someone who LOVES Steven Spielberg.

I rank Spielberg’s The Color Purple on the lower tier of his filmography. While well-made and acted, the emotional finale didn’t land for me because the film is a bit of a slog and is a downer for the entire runtime. Blitz Bazawule’s 2023 film is far from a slog and emotionally loaded. It is a beautiful film where you feel the heart, hope, and triumph of Celine while also getting terrific songs with skilled choreography.

The Color Purple is a movie about hope and triumph, and it needed to keep that hope alive throughout the film, which would help the triumph land even harder in the film’s finale. Making this into a musical does just that. The songs, which are a mixture of jazz, gospel, ragtime, and blues, advance the characters and help keep a hopeful spirit throughout the film. Whether a smaller number like “Workin’” or a catchy number like “Hell No!”, the songs bring life to the film and keep the hope that Celine will be freed and reunited with her sister. Bazawule’s direction of the musical numbers is very good. The numbers aren’t cut and edited to death like a lot of modern musicals, and he lets us see the intricate choreography with swift, crisp camera moves.

The Color Purple boasts a tremendous ensemble. Past American Idol-winner Fantasia Barrino is remarkable in her big-screen debut as Celine. It’s a powerful performance and you feel every emotion Celine is feeling. When things are bad for her, your heart breaks, when something good happens, your heart fills with her joy. Her rendition of “I’m Here” is the best number in the film and a true show-stopper. She is joined by a slew of great supporting performers around her. Taraji P. Henson is a lightning rod of energy and charisma as Shug, a woman who grows a liking to Celine when she visits town. Henson flexes her movie-star muscles and owns the screen every time she’s on it, much like Shug owns every room she’s in. Danielle Brooks, reprising her role from the Broadway show, plays the strong-willed, scene-stealing Sofia. Get ready to hear her name plenty this Oscar season.

The one aspect of the film that didn’t sit right with me was the treatment of Mister, Celine’s abusive, despicable husband played by Colman Domingo. Mister is an awful human being. He abuses Celine, is a drunk, hits on women in front of Celine, and doesn’t actually like Celine and only uses her for sex and to watch his children. There isn’t anything redeemable about him, yet by the end of the film, he is portrayed as a good person and as a hero in some ways. While the film is also about forgiveness, it is tough to think that Celine would forgive Mister for everything he did to her. Mister gets off too easy in this version of The Color Purple and it’s something I just couldn’t shake.

Despite Mister’s storyline, The Color Purple is a celebration of hope and triumph. It’s a crowd-pleasing film with outstanding musical numbers, a stellar ensemble, and well-crafted set and costumes.

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