The Color Purple – An Imperfect Showstopper

Originally published in 1982, Alice Walker’s The Color Purple has since seen several incarnations. Starting with a 1985 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg, it has also become a Broadway musical starting in 2005 (with a revival in 2015). Based on both previous adaptations, this latest film adaptation sees the musical brought to the big screen in powerful fashion. Not without its issues, the film may not quite pull its dramatic and musical sides together in terms of pacing and momentum, though each side was individually compelling. At its core, strong work both in front of and behind the camera bring out boatloads of emotion out of a film that perhaps runs a touch too long. Playing better as a drama than a musical, it would surely have fared better if it had leaned more on its dramatic side. That being said, that emotion is hard to deny in spite of some tough subject matter. Those more familiar with the original source material or any other previous adaptation will of course be better served but for those who are not, there may be an adjustment period. In the end, it is an undisputed spectacle and an experience.

The Color Purple takes place in a rural Georgia community and follows the saga of Celie (Barrino), a woman who has seen nothing but hardship. Seperated from her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) at a young age, she found herself unwittingly married to an older man named Mister (Colman Domingo). Routinely beaten and berated, the only thing keeping Celie going was the hope that she would get to see her sister again. However, with the passing of time, that hope appeared to be increasingly unlikely. Losing hope, Celie’s life of darkness was afforded light in the form a woman named Sofia (Brooks), Mister’s son Harpo’s (Corey Hawkins) soon to be wife. A polar opposite of her, she was as fearless as she was strong-willed and she was not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for herself. She would not let anyone push her around. Sofia encouraged Celie to do the same with Mister. Along those lines, the infamous jazz singer Shug Avery (Henson) also showed her kindness. Also, a former lover of Mister, after learning about Celie’s relationship with him, they form a bond as she urged her to find her inner strength.

Given hope for the first time in a long time thanks to her newfound relationships, what started to turn things around for Celie was the news that Nettie was still alive. As their reunion was only a matter of time, she started to take her life in her own hands in what was a satisfying culmination of her growth as a character to that point. Free from the clutches of Mister, Celie finally got the chance to stand on her own two feet and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. As her fortunes changed, the same couldn’t be said for Mister. When one rises, another shall fall. A sign to reform himself and his ways, his redemption story that saw him reconcile with his troubled past and pull himself from the literal gutter was compelling to watch. Though not a particularly likeable character, one can’t help but pity him. Meanwhile, Sofia’s personality was sure to get her in trouble and it did. Seeing all that life and personality disappear was simply heartbreaking. In the end, these three women had each other and that bond proved to be a powerful one and one whose strength could withstand anything thrown its way as the story ended on a hopeful note.

As mentioned, The Color Purple is also a musical and there, it definitely did not disappoint. The argument could be made that there are a few too many musical numbers here, but their theatrical nature makes them an experience. The work behind bringing them to life is nothing short of impressive. Well shot and choreographed, there is often a lot of action happening on screen as the camera does a great job keeping up with it all. It also helps that the music and songs are catchy while tapping into the emotion of the moment and that the performers are more than capable of handling it all. However, the film’s technical prowess goes far beyond the musical set pieces. From its beautiful cinematography to its elaborate set and costume design, they round out an immersive package, making the community and the land another character in the story.

Ultimately, the best part of the film was its performances despite being somewhat overshadowed by its musical side. The dynamic of Barino, Brooks, and Henson as Celie, Sofia, and Shug is the emotional core. Barino, as the lead, is tasked with the carrying the majority of that emotion but she does so admirably. She has a charm and charisma to her that will hook audiences from the start and have them invested in her roller coaster story. An absolute force on screen, the same could be said for Brooks and Henson. A much-hyped performance from many award prognosticators, Brooks was more than worthy of that hype with a scene-stealing performance that got to show off her range. She was as feisty and she was vulnerable. Henson had plenty of scene-stealing moments of her own as the larger-than-life singer while also reigning that energy in some more tender moments. Their chemistry was easily the biggest highlight and while the film has some issues, they were certainly not one of them.

At the end of the day, The Color Purple is an imperfect showstopper with a powerful emotional core and impressive musical set pieces that don’t quite mesh together.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.