'The Color Purple' Is an American Classic Reimagined

By Sara Clements | Film | December 28, 2023 |

By Sara Clements | Film | December 28, 2023 |

Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer-winning novel, The Color Purple, is one of the most influential works of all time. The story depicts the trials and tribulations but also the powerful connections that shape the life of a Black woman in the American South during the early 20th century. Adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film in 1985 by Steven Spielberg, it’s the 2005 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that’s now getting the cinematic treatment. Playing in theatres to much-earned success, Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple is a whole new experience with a soul full of song.

For those unfamiliar, The Color Purple is a profound, decades-spanning story that follows the life of Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Fantasia Barrino). It revolves specifically around the men who have done her wrong and the women who have done her right. Beginning in Georgia in the early 20th century, Celie and her sister, Nettie (Halle Bailey and Ciara), only have each other. The loss of their loving mother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) weighs heavily on them in a home with a stern, sexually abusive father (Deon Cole). However, Nettie’s protectiveness and love for her sister bring light to Celie’s life despite the darkness that surrounds them. This is taken away briefly when Celie is married off to a devil of a man named Albert, or “Mister” (Colman Domingo). In his house, Celie is treated not as a wife but as a maid. It’s an abusive environment she’s used to, but is absent of the love Nettie provides. Luckily, Nettie is a fighter and escapes their father’s abuse by reuniting with Celie. This stay is short-lived, however, as Mister kicks Nettie out for refusing his advances. Celie will spend her remaining years separated from her sister, but the bond between them remains unbreakable.

Returning to the role after playing Celie on Broadway, Barrino is powerful and triumphant. It’s a role that transforms greatly over the course of the story. At first, she plays Celie as soft-spoken and meek, capturing the weight of all the pain she has had to endure. You get emotional watching her in the role and want to hold on to each moment of happiness. Barrino plays her with vulnerability but also great strength as we see a spark of resilience grow stronger. It’s one of the best performances of the year.

During the lonely years, Celie finds comfort in two other women, both with qualities that reflect Nettie in her absence. There’s the headstrong Sofia (Danielle Brooks), the wife of Mister’s son, Harpo (Corey Hawkins). Coming off of her Tony-nominated performance, Brooks is a tour de force in the role. She’s hilarious and ignites the same fight and strength that Nettie has and that Celie struggles to achieve. Sofia is a boss, a queen that takes no shit from men. However, the world is tough for women of fighting spirit and Brooks must capture a fire that fizzles out in a most crushing way, but with a spark that’s always ready to reignite.

Then, there’s blues singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson). She’s the most glamorous woman Celie has ever seen, and Henson easily captures Shug’s movie star quality. When she comes to town, everyone has jazz in their step, bringing men to their knees and women roaring with envy. Shug is Mister’s one love, and Celie is completely smitten. She’s the only woman Celie knows who doesn’t treat Mister like a master and just like Nettie, is a protective force for Celie. Shug is wild at heart and brings back the carefree energy that the film captures in Celie’s early years with her sister. Shug helps her realize her worth and beauty and becomes a sexual awakening for Celie, providing the love she hasn’t felt in years. It’s the women in her life who help her overcome her difficult circumstances, leading to the powerful anthem of endurance, “I’m Here.”

This adaptation of the Broadway show has a spiritual soul full of song that reaches grand, cinematic heights. A spectacle of imaginative aesthetics, it’s rich in costume, production design, and lyricism. The film is also especially vibrant thanks to its cinematography which captures every color permeating the American South setting. The choreography and stunning set pieces make your heart dance, especially when Celie’s imagination comes into play. There’s a joyful vigor in the musical numbers and a soulfulness that reaches your core. The music will no doubt be the standout for many, and most songs work well to elevate the story, from the celebratory song of survival, “I’m Here,” to the rebellious anthem of “Hell No!” to “What About Love?” The latter works beautifully to create a coming out for Celie, creating a number that’s an uplifting moment of awakening that elevates the story’s queer romance more than the Spielberg film.

However, the film’s music does present some challenges. It proves difficult to balance both drama and song, with the film feeling rushed at times. Many of the emotional moments attempting to be conveyed through song don’t work as well as the more subtle emotional strength on display in the original film. Unlike the aforementioned songs, some shift the tone too much, and we are unable to sit with some of the more moving moments.

The Color Purple is an intimate and stirring work. While the music and drama don’t mesh perfectly, the songs make the film feel more like a spiritual event as it explores themes of sisterhood, love, and forgiveness to poignant effect. The ensemble here is one of the best groups of actors in the business - and they make crafting a crowd-pleaser look easy. I mention it feels like a spiritual event because not only does it open with the line “Dear God” and end with “Amen,” but the film burns so brightly with the power of song and how it affects people. It brings both a sense of comfort and strength - the kind Celie longs for, and in an impactful ending, finally gets it.