The Color Purple
The Color Purple [2023]
Direction by Blitz Balawule
Starring: Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo
Language: English
It was surprising to see that a movie like this was coming to commercial theatres in my area: given the very intense themes I heard it contained. When I saw an advertisement for this before seeing Argylle (not a movie worthy of review), I knew it was next on my watchlist. And I wasn't sad to see it. I have seen a lot of hate for this movie online: how it is not true to the original production, and how it deviates from the original novel. However, I do think that this was worth watching: every movie deserves a breath of fresh air after a few decades: if West Side Story is not proof of that, then what is?
I had a friend message me after I had the chance to review this movie, and she said this movie unfairly played into black trauma as opposed to black liberation. However, I would have to disagree. with this. By including so much music, the characters have the opportunity to be empowered through song: it is a liberating force that counteracts the force of oppression. She also said she didn't like the movie because it wasn't strictly aligned with the novel. To that point, I would agree. For a novel that placed so much emphasis on god and divinity, this movie only really touched on those themes, focusing instead on the cruelty of man as opposed to the cruelty of the divine. This questioning of humanity feels more tangible than questioning religion, and as such I believe that the movie was more powerful after it deviated slightly from the original text.
It's very difficult for me to call Danielle Brooks by her name: I think of her solely as 'Taystee', the sassy inmate in 'Orange is the New Black'. But in my mind, she will now remain as Sophia - her performance was unforgettable. She delivered the whole package: originally a sassy, empowered woman, she goes through a journey after being incarcerated as a result of racial violence. It was difficult not to love her, as she was by far the strongest performer in the production. Barrino's character, Celie, was perfectly fine but lacked contrast. For much of the movie, her character remained stagnant and afraid, which had an effect on how well she performed: she was constrained by the role she was put in. It is arguably the same case for Henson and Domingo. Henson was all laughter and joy, and it was only in one of her final scenes were she was able to show an ounce of character variety. It was the same case for Domingo: as such an inherently cruel character, his transition into being a normal, decent person was a little too rushed and without reason. The plotline was gripping, but many of the characters, with the exception of Brooks' character, were constrained in how they were written.
Black History Month was celebrated in my school in October/November, but it is now in the United States. Watching this movie was the best way to kickstart American Black History Month, and I hope to be able to watch more historical movies like these over the next few weeks. American Fiction is next on my list.
