25. The Color Purple; movie review

 

THE COLOR PURPLE

Cert 12A

141 mins

BBFC advice: Contains domestic abuse, sexual violence references, language, sex, discrimination

Should we compare The Color Purple to the Spielberg classic or judge it on its own?

As a standalone, Blitz Bazawule's musical could be considered vibrant, uplifting and even joyful in profound adversity.

This starkly contrasts the highly acclaimed but much grittier 1985 film starring Whoopi Goldberg (who makes a brief appearance here).

Cinema-goers will make their own minds up, but halfway through, I tried to blank out the comparison, and it helped me enjoy this latest movie more.

It begins in the early 20th century in small-town Georgia, where two sisters, Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and Nettie (Halle Bailey), protect each other under the gaze of a brutal father (Deon Cole).

However, horror unfolds when Celie is sent to marry a violent older man (Colman Domingo), and Nettie is left to fend for herself.

The story then focuses on Celie and her battle to maintain her sanity or even stay alive amid her husband's cruelty.

Light emerges in the form of two effervescent women, played with great zeal by Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson.

Our hearts go out to Celie, whose life is a mere shell until Henson's celebrated singer arrives in town.

She brings possibilities for her lusting husband but, surprisingly, for the Cinderella figure herself.

The Color Purple lifts the lid on the time immediately after slavery and is surprising because of the levels of aggression between the African American community that had been so horribly oppressed.

And, of course, there remains the ghastly racism from the South's whites.

Is it better than the original film?

It is different... and that is why it is worth watching.

Reasons to watch: Zestful adaptation

Reasons to avoid: Misses the edge of the original

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? Oprah Winfrey went from co-starring in the original film to producing the Color Purple musical remake in 2023.

The final word. "The first movie missed culturally. We don’t wallow in the muck. We don’t stay stuck in our traumas. We laugh, we sing, we go to church, we dance, we celebrate, we fight for joy, we find joy, we keep it. That’s all we have." The Hollywood Reporter

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