‘The Color Purple’ Movie Review: An Emotionally Stirring Musical With Electric Performances
Photo from IMDb
From Jeremy Kibler
It’s not unreasonable to feel doubt in a Steven Spielberg film being remade, but 2023’s The Color Purple fell into the right hands. To be fair, this is more of an adaptation of the Broadway musical, itself based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Price-winning 1982 novel and Spielberg’s tough, affecting 1985 film. In telling this story, set in Georgia and spanning 1909 to 1947, for the second time on screen, director Blitz Bazawule (who previously co-directed Beyoncé’s visual album Black Is King) finds the right tonality between dramatically heavy material and the music. It also doesn’t hurt that Bazawule is blessed with an exceptional ensemble of actors who can sing and singers who can act.
Having played the same role on Broadway from 2007 to 2008, early “American Idol” season winner Fantasia Barrino is truly heartbreaking as the put-upon Celie, who was molested and impregnated by her father as a teenager. Her two children were “given away to God” before Celie was then married off to the abusive Albert/Mister (Colman Domingo) and separated from the only person who showed her love — her sister, Nettie (played by Halle Bailey and then, in the finale, Ciara). Any letter that Nettie wrote and mailed to her beloved sister would be hidden by Mister. It’s not until Mister’s lover, brassy Memphis singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), comes to stay in Celie’s home that Celie steps closer to gaining her agency and freedom.
The Color Purple is faithful to the story beats of its non-musical predecessor but quite special in its own right with songs and lyrics. The musical numbers all soar and are dynamically staged in long shots to let Fatima Robinson’s intricate dance choreography breathe. “Hell No!” and “Shug Avery” feel the most like big Broadway numbers, while “Dear God - Shug” is realized with the most magical realism, as a starstruck Celie bathes Shug in a tub on an oversized turntable. Set on a stage, “What About Love?” is a lovely duet between new friends Celie and Shug. Taraji P. Henson also tears it up in her solo, “Push Da Button,” and Fantasia Barrino’s climactic show-stopper “I’m Here” is powerful enough to induce full-body chills.
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Halle Bailey lay the groundwork as Celie and Nettie, forging a sisterhood that’s easy to root for in hopes that these two can actually reunite someday. Without copying Whoopi Goldberg’s unforgettable portrayal, Barrino is wonderful in navigating her arc from meek to commanding as adult Celie, and she’s assisted by two more standouts. Henson is dynamite as Shug, finding the sparkling performing side but also a warm humanity. Reprising her role from the Broadway revival as Sofia (originally played on screen by Oprah), an electric and brashly funny Danielle Brooks puts her own stamp on this unapologetically stubborn and strong-willed character who’s married to Mister’s son, Harpo (the always-charismatic Corey Hawkins).
Marcus Gardley’s script does spell out certain story beats that the first film inferred (like Mister’s arc, for instance), but love prevailing is the overriding factor here. Bazawule’s vision is hard-hitting yet impassioned and empathetic, acting as a companion piece to Spielberg’s sensitive, even lyrical interpretation. Even as Spielberg’s film was often criticized for being overly sentimental in the end, it all felt earned. The final moments here are just as earned and feel even more uplifting as Celie and company perform the titular song. If you can only fit in one movie musical distributed by Warner Bros. this year, The Color Purple is the proper choice for a rapturous entertainment that actually stirs the soul.
Rating: 4/5
The Color Purple hits theaters on December 25, 2023.
