by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
We are amid a resurgence of movie musicals! As someone who loves musicals, Broadway coming to the cinema brings mixed results. Not every show that makes it to the big screen is a hit. This new era, however, has also been also met with another odd wrinkle: Studios are hiding the fact that their movies are musicals! But even still, we got a feature-length adaptation of The Color Purple.
I have seen the Color Purple movie from the 1980s and I’ve read the book. Steven Spielberg did a great job with the original, and it’s become an inspirational movie that showcases talented performances from Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover. I didn’t know what to expect with the new version, though, mainly because I wasn’t sure how the songs could enhance the story. The Color Purple deals with a lot of heavy topics, like domestic violence, race, and trauma, so my concern was the music wouldn’t add any depth.
Boy, was I wrong!
The Color Purple tells the story of two sisters, Celie (Fantasia Barrino plays the adult version, and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi plays the younger version) and Nettie (Ciara as the adult, and Halle Bailey as the child), growing up in the South during the early part of the 20th century. When they are separated from one another, Celie must learn to live with her husband, Mister (Colman Domingo), and find the strength to persevere with a sisterhood powerful enough to help her get through anything.
The greatest praise that I can give The Color Purple is how moving the story is. Yes, I’m already very familiar with the original, but this version feels so much more raw, especially in the moments between Celie and Mister. The years of trauma that Celie suffers under Mister’s cruelty are stark, leading to a transformation of self-discovery and confidence, which takes decades to build. With its scope, the story helps convey how much pain Celie has to incorporate into her life, as it takes place over almost 40 years. The movie explores themes of toxicity in relationships and the struggles that women, particularly Black women, went through during the early 1900s, and shows how time doesn’t heal all wounds and that it takes a village to help someone find their voice.
There is a good contrast between the different women in The Color Purple which helps showcase the dire situation many of them are put in. It also conveys the need to create a sisterhood to help someone in the darkest of situations. The women of The Color Purple make for a truly remarkable ensemble. Everyone is on their A-game, and they pack a punch, both musically and from a performance standpoint.
I remember when Barrino won American Idol back in the early 2000s. She’s an incredibly talented singer, and I was interested to see how she would fare in a film. Barrino is as breathtaking as Celie, conveying so much pain and suffering, and channeling it into a powerhouse performance. Celie is a complicated character to play, and Barrino delivers, making the role her own. She’s played the role of Celie on Broadway for a long time, and it’s clear she’s mastered what it takes to deliver a beautiful and moving performance out of this character.
Another performer who has been in a version of The Color Purple is Danielle Brooks, who plays Sofia. She’s a friend of Celie who is married to Mister’s son, Harpo (Corey Hawkins). Sofia is a lively and feisty character who knows how to stand up for herself and speak her mind. Unfortunately, Sofia also deals with similar issues to Celie, and is at the center of one of the harder moments to watch, regarding race. I love seeing the evolution of Brooks’ career since Orange is the New Black. She continues to diversify her performances, and this is my absolute favorite of hers to date. Along with Barrino, Brooks has command of Sofia as a character and a singer. The Color Purple sings the loudest, with her and Barrino in the front seat.
Truth be told, all the performances are fantastic. Domingo is ruthless as Mister, and just when you think he can’t be redeemed, the ending starts the healing process for all the characters he’s been terrible to. This is a side of Domingo I didn’t think we’d ever see, and him being a villain gives me hope that more studios will showcase his talents more in the coming years.
Hawkins also does a great job, but Harpo as a character is underdeveloped. Even still, he displays a superior level of talent with singing and dancing, and he does the best with the material he’s given. There’s so much going on that Harpo only really gets to shine in a few instances. He has a moment of clarity during a confrontation with Sofia, and it helps guide the person he becomes the rest of the movie. I wish more would have been explored about how he shook off that incident and then forged ahead as a new person.
Taraji P Henson’s Shug is a different character from all the rest, as she gets to follow her dream of becoming a singer at the great expense of her reputation and family. Henson is incredible as Shug, and oozes with a charisma that makes her a favorite for me.
This version of The Color Purple, despite the lack of advertisement as a musical, is an example of how you can take a Broadway adaptation and make it into a great movie. The performances up and down the cast are remarkable, both individually and as an ensemble. From a story standpoint, the themes still hit hard and make for a moving final number which made me tear up. With such scope, The Color Purple is as vibrant and moving as any movie I saw in 2023, and I look forward to exploring the songs not included in the film soon.
Rating: Loved It
The Color Purple is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd