The Color Purple (2023)

​“The Color Purple” stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Released on December 25, 2023, the film follows a woman and her struggles living in the South during the 1900s.

The film was directed by Blitz Bazawule, who also directed “The Burial of Kojo” and “Black Is King”. He’s also a rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. It is based on the stage musical of the same name and the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. Warner Brothers Discovery proved that victory is sweeter than chocolate regarding its solid opening weekend for “Wonka”. It also showcased that the movie musical genre is still alive and kicking like its choreography. Although, I can’t say the same for the studio’s struggling DC cinematic universe. Now, it’s looking to continue its harmonious streak with a musical surrounding the harsh reality of surviving the South in the 1900s. This is the latest adaptation of Alice Walker’s emotionally compelling novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg, who serves as one of the producers of the music-driven version, which hopes to provide a unique flavor to its timeless story. With that said, let’s see if this song-filled adaptation can sing its way to the top during the holiday season.  

The story follows Celie Harris (Barrino), a young woman living in the American South in the 1900s. Celie spends most of her life being abused by her ungrateful father but keeps her spirit strong thanks to her relationship with her young sister Nettie (Bailey). Things take an even more depressing turn when Celie is forced to marry a widower named Albert “Mister” Johnson (Domingo), who’s equally as abusive as her father. As the years pass, Celie endures many obstacles in an attempt to survive the dog-eat-dog world, involving domestic violence, racism, and sexism.

It goes without saying that I hadn’t watched the 1985 adaptation of “The Color Purple” before seeing this version. It’s considered an unnerving but powerful classic, and I love most of Spielberg’s works. However, I just couldn’t find the right time to watch it before Bazawule’s musical version. So, you can say that this was my first experience with the popular source material. Regardless, I was excited to see “The Color Purple” due to the talented people involved in the acting and music departments, and I’m a sucker for movie musicals. However, I’m also curious about its combination of depressing themes and musical vibes. If you’ve seen the 1985 version, you’ll know that “The Color Purple” isn’t for the faint of heart, as it deals with abuse, violence, and trauma in the African American community. While rated PG-13, the movie will probably make you think twice before taking your young kids.  

But despite its problematic elements, the new version of “The Color Purple” offered a lighthearted approach to the subject matter yet retains the awful nature of how women were treated in the 1900s. The result is a magnificent and visually compelling adaptation that honors the source material’s themes and characters and provides a fresh yet familiar experience for both new and old generations. Packed with Southern musical flair and strong talent, the film delivered a thoughtful reflection of the timeless messages that don’t shy away from delighting its target audience. As someone who hasn’t watched the original version and heard bits and pieces of its disturbing content, I was genuinely surprised to see how well-balanced it was regarding its high-spiritedness and depressing tone. Usually, it can result in a film being too safe or preachy for its distressing and emotional moments. We got enough of that from the low-quality, faith-based films. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case in “The Color Purple,” which offered enough goodwill to coincide gracefully with its topic’s emotional beats.

Like the novel and the 1985 version, 2023’s “The Color Purple” showcases Celie’s lifelong journey of finding hope, freedom, resilience, and love amid her traumatic childhood and toxic relationship with Albert. The word “purple” in the title represents those things, as well as independence, peace, and forgiveness. It’s possibly why the 1985 version was so timeless outside of its unnerving violence. It reminds people to hold onto faith and hope during the darkest hours of their lives, especially when someone treats them like garbage. Regarding its well-written screenplay by Marcus Gardley, the 2023 adaptation lived up to that difficult challenge without being a carbon copy of the original or the stage musical, thanks to the changes that worked well with the story and themes.

Bazawule is no stranger to musical elements due to his involvement in Beyoncé’s “Black Is King, " which I enjoyed. However, it’s also his first time directing a narrative-driven movie instead of a feature-length music video, so a lot was riding on him as to whether he’s capable of tackling other projects as a filmmaker. Based on what I’ve seen from him, I think Bazawule might have a promising future ahead of him. Along with the mixture of lightheartedness and emotional drama, Bazawule provided a rapturous soul in the musical numbers and the humanity of the movie’s characters. His directorial style was a superb and emotionally charged visual grandeur that’s neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, especially the ending. Spoiler alert: I almost cried during that scene. More importantly, Bazawule knows how to keep the pacing consistent with some nifty editing choices despite the film being over two hours long. I’m not sure if it’ll be enough for him to win the Best Director award, but I do not doubt he deserves some recognition.

In addition to Bazawule’s style, the movie boasts an incredible cast of talented actors and musicians from the African American community. Unsurprisingly, everyone put their heart and soul into their gripping performances, but only a few stood out. One of them is Fantasia Barrino, who makes her film debut as Celie. Fantasia is one of the artists-turned-stars who proved that their acting is as good as their singing. She’s absolutely magnificent as a woman driven by trauma and her struggle to become resilient against her abusers. The fact that she also played Celie in the stage version makes her performance all the more authentic and compelling. Taraji P. Henson was also stellar as the spicy yet angelic Shug Avery. Danielle Brooks, another actor who reprised her role from the stage musical, was another highlight, as she delivered the sass, joy, and heart into her career-best performance as Sofia. I would also credit Halle Bailey for her heartfelt portrayal of Nettie, only because she has a bright future as both a singer and an actress.

With the adaptation taking several cues from the stage production, it’s unsurprising that it features several musical numbers involving people breaking into song and dancing their feet off. While some of them may feel like filler, the songs managed to find ways to be highly engaging, fun, and even profound. It’s got a mixture of long and short musical numbers that don’t feel drawn out or unnecessary. Each song has an appropriate length for me to admire the framework in Dan Laustsen’s cinematography, the costume designs, and the marvelous choreography. Whether they make you tap your feet with delight or provoke tears, the songs offer a Broadway-like, gospel-filled pizazz that’s instantly charismatic. Even the musical score by Kris Powers was an emotional delight.

Overall, “The Color Purple” is a crowd-pleasing and heartfelt experience that offers many shades of movie musical greatness. It respects the emotional impact built from Alice Walker’s novel and Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation and introduces it to a new generation through its unique vision and heartfelt vibes. Thanks to its strong cast, Blitz Bazawule’s visual presentation, well-written screenplay, and superb soundtrack, the 2023 musical version is a dazzling treat that’ll make you see purple. It might be enough for me to check out the 1985 version someday, although I am still hesitant about its portrayal of violence, so we’ll see. I highly recommend this one to those who love the source material, whether from the 1985 film or the stage musical.

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