Few films are as polarizing as the 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. It received plenty of well-deserved praise and accolades thanks to generationally great performances from Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Danny Glover, and Adolph Caesar, and flawless execution of its behind-the-camera aspects led by Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones. Alternatively, its negative depiction of Black men and unintentionally laying the foundation for the oversaturation of trauma in Black film tarnished its legacy to some.
Still, Walker’s tale of a dark-complected Black woman chronicles her life and the various forms of abuse and cruelty she experiences in post-Reconstruction rural Georgia in letters she writes to God remains a classic. Its highly successful (and still touring) Broadway adaptation has paved the way for a cinematic retelling of The Color Purple, produced by Winfrey, Jones, Spielberg, and Scott Sanders and directed by Black Is King helmer Blitz Bazawule.
A period piece rife with that level of negative Black imagery is a massive undertaking in 2023, given the fact Black women and men have grown more opposed to it over time. Does The Color Purple have a place in the now? Coming from someone who respects the original’s cinematic achievements but loathes everything about it beyond that, the answer is a resounding yes.
Due to the previously mentioned Broadway adaptation serving as the film’s source material, this iteration of The Color Purple differs significantly from the 1985 release. Believe it or not, that’s where the 2023 version’s strength lies.
It has the OG version sewn into its fabric. So much so there are shot-for-shot recreations of several memorable scenes with some subtle differences. The departure happens as Marcus Gardley’s script emphasizes Celie’s growth and sisterly connections with the other women in The Color Purple more than the vile acts committed toward her.
Additionally, Bazawule dials down the graphic nature of previously traumatic scenes, such as the story’s physical abuse and sexual assault, without trivializing or erasing them. Honestly, the shift in focus matches the film’s beautiful Southern backdrop and art direction. It melds the scenery with the beauty Celie discovers on the path to finding and loving herself.
The music is another strong point; you can feel it from the film's opening scene, in which “Mysterious Ways” will have your hands more than ready to clap along. Other rhythmic and melodic standouts include “Keep It Movin’,” “Workin,” “Hell No!” and “Miss Celie’s Pants.”
The acting performances pale compared to what we witnessed Goldberg and Co. did 38 years ago, but there are still several extraordinary turns to watch. Fantasia Barrino is incredible, reprising the Celie role she played on Broadway. As solely a dramatic actress, she is solid at best, but she’s special when allowed to use song in her part. Her voice is powerful when expressing the heartbreak heard in her singles like “Bittersweet” and “Free Yourself,” but equally capable of exuding joy like in the unofficial #BlackBoyJoy anthem “When I See You." It works well with ensuring a more balanced retelling of a pain-filled journey.
As impressive as Barrino is, Danielle Brooks follows in the footsteps of Winfrey’s OG Sophia and plays like a lead in her own right as she reprises her role in the Broadway show. Similar to her Emmy-nominated turn as Mahalia Jackson in Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, Brooks is a fire-cracking yet endearing scene-stealer whose vocals are just as moving as her reciting lines.
Taraji P. Henson offers a solid turn as Shug Avery, and Corey Hawkins’s performance as Harpo makes magic out of limited screen time, as does an unrecognizable Deon Cole. If an area possibly disappoints, it’s the Mister character and not so much because of Colman Domingo’s performance. He truly hits every mark he’s supposed to. It’s more a function of this Color Purple’s change in focus to make this more of Celie’s story and less about his abuse of her.
From a purely cinematic standpoint, this Color Purple doesn’t come close to 1985; frankly, few films will ever reach the pinnacle of receiving those types of flowers. That said, the 2023 version does more than enough to warrant must-see status.
It pulled off the seemingly impossible task of making Celie’s story fit for today’s audience by giving the character power beyond her circumstances, allowing us to see more of her journey and less of her as a victim. To accomplish that feat without removing or undermining the things she survived also deserves many flowers.