The Color Purple is a story of overcoming oppression expressed through song. Life for Celie (Fantasia Barrino) in the American South during the early 1900s. As a young woman, she lives in fear of her father. He cruelly forces her to give up two babies born out of wedlock. Seeking a profit, he then forces Celie to marry Albert “Mister” Johnson (Coleman Domingo), which separates her from Nettie (Halle Bailey)—Celie’s sister and only ally. Unfortunately, Mister turns out to be a sadistic spouse prone to wild violent outbursts and hellbent on keeping Celie in isolation. Eventually, Celie finds inspiration in other women and learns to forge her own path.
What works in The Color Purple are the vibrant, emotional performances and the stirring musical numbers. Director Blitz Bazawule (Black is King) has assembled a phenomenal ensemble of performers, some of whom established themselves previously in these roles on Broadway. Barrino, Bailey, and Domingo all stand out as complex characters, as does Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery. Henson brings love and levity to the dour proceedings with the promise of hope. She is a welcome ray of light as the audience connects with the myriad of women struggling with a society that deems them inferior. Bazawule handles this well by giving all of the characters appropriate depth and their own chances to shine. Finally, the musical elements are fantastic: the singing, dancing, costumes, production, and choreography are all exceptional.
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Audiences who are uncomfortable with displays of physical and emotional abuse (however historically accurate) may not enjoy The Color Purple as much as others. In a laudatory way, the creative team behind this story have found balance in making atrocities palatable through song. However, it never lessens or diminishes the horrible treatment these women received. The heaviness of the film may be a bit much for some people with personal ties to the reality of gender disparity. Genre-wise, The Color Purple is a musical through and through and some people may prefer to experience something of this weight through another medium. Fortunately, those options exist including the original Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker and the 1985 dramatic film by Steven Spielberg.
The Color Purple is a powerful film. It tackles important elements of history that should not be forgotten and packages them in a rousing story of courage and perseverance. Thanks to an exceptional cast, The Color Purple will draw people in, investing them in these characters through every musical note. This outstanding adaptation comes highly recommended.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Dreamgirls, The Help, Harriet, 12 Years a Slave
The Color Purple is now available in theaters starting on December 25th.
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