"The Color Purple" Movie Review

   

   The Color Purple, a critically acclaimed Stephen Spielberg film based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book written by Alice Walker, is a moving depiction of pre-civil rights era African American experiences surrounded around a mistreated and timid woman named Celie played by Whoopi Goldberg. When considering the various issues that are imaginatively covered in the film by the Academy Award winning director such as rape, domestic violence, racism, and poverty to name a few, it is easy to comprehend why the movie received a noteworthy amount of award nominations. The story’s vivid developments and believable outcomes would agitate the average person’s emotions and pull at their heartstrings; however the story has received its share of unfavorable reviews. Regardless of the opinion formed after watching the controversial film, the impression left from the intense characters will be difficult to remove from your psyche.

The story opens with force, illustrating the dealings of child marriage, families being torn apart, as well as the feelings of bondage and violation that can be realized by a person who is forced into an arranged union. Living in the picturesque rural south, Celie is a young girl who is forced to marry a man in lieu of his true desire; Celie’s more physically attractive but younger sister. As a result of the trade, Celie is exposed to a life of despairing treatment. She compares sexual encounters with her vile husband to him using the bathroom or “doing his business”.  Feminine viewers would find it difficult to not empathize with Celie as she faces the sexual abuse at the hand of her spouse.

    Domestic violence, adultery, and ultimately divorce are visible elements of the movie as well. Celie’s step-daughter in- law, Sophia played by Oprah Winfrey, confronts her in the beautifully landscaped southern fields about coaching Sophia’s husband to use physical abuse her. The betrayal that is felt by Sophia is palpable when she exclaims “you told Harpo to beat me” to an astounded Celie. Sophia’s wrath continues as she challenges the adulterous relationship that Harpo is having with another woman. Ultimately Harpo and Sophia’s marriage would end in separation. Celie would also go on to separate and disassociate herself from the violence received by her despised husband, Mr.  The period covered lends the backdrop of lack of privilege and perceived inferiority that the majority of blacks dealt with during that time.

    Racism and poverty are evident as the characters live in a segregated town surrounded by white towns where they are considered less than equal to their neighbors. The fiery Sophia encounters a Caucasian female that would change her life for the worse, landing her in jail and making her children and Sophia work for her upon her release. Whites are seen displayed as business owners, mobile, and financially favored while blacks appear to be absent from the lifestyle amenities afforded to the white population.  The picture keeps you entertained with each character’s navigation through life’s ills of a recent post slavery time that is infused with abundance of sexism.

    Rated “the year’s best film” by Roger Ebert, The Color Purple’s numerous distinguished honors include eleven Academy Award nominations. Stephen Spielberg created a riveting motion picture, which assisted in him becoming a sought after Hollywood director. His excellent ability to capture the author’s purpose and expressions while constructing such a captivating movie was clearly overlooked by the evidence of Oscar snubs the film experienced. Critics have said that the film was unbelievable, exaggerated at times, and stereotypical. The Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone has defended the movie, stating that it is an “excellent film that attempts to deal with overlooked issues”.  The Color Purple is a classic film that is deserving of its notoriety and should be seriously considered for one’s viewing pleasures. 

     ~Lady Chandra

    Without a doubt, the film entitled “The Color Purple” it is indeed a historical, compelling, horrific and ideal movie for the past ordeals in history. By far, the director Steven Spielberg orchestrated a film that would exhibit the historical conditions of old; Spielberg does this by indicating the past slavery conditions and inferences of modern illustrations for the diverse audiences. It is evident that this movie portrays slavery to its core and arranged marriages as a nightmare. Inclusive to the latter mishaps, we find adultery explicitly illustrated to its core, incest by far, bondage, captivity and sexism displayed; but eventually we see a change which results in the freedom and the escape for someone who is wounded and once bounded in both mind and body.

    The key actor in this film is Celie. Celie represents a black woman of the early decades who grows up in the rural South and she is surrounded by cruelty. Beyond her playful and serene childhood, the film takes a sudden turn. Unfortunately, there is a sudden climax in the movie which infers incest, and we see that Celie became pregnant, and we learn that her father has made her pregnant; Celie is forced to give away her child.

The movie became more intriguing when Celie became married (through an arranged marriage) at a tender age—it is here another nightmare evolves in her life. This marriage was horrendous by far. "Mister" was the name Celie allotted to her so called husband and the only name she made inference to, in regards to him. In spite of Celie fatal and wearisome endurance in a brutal marriage, the loss of  both her children and the ability to bear children, the separation from her sister—the  one person  who truly loved her, could not compare to her endurance ; wherein, in the end she had prevailed against the odds.

    With all the acclamations and accreditations allotted to this film, critics have stated that “the film was unbelievable, exaggerated at times, and stereotypical.” The Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone has defended the movie, stating that it is an “excellent film that attempts to deal with overlooked issues.”  Which brings me to my closing implications, which implies that in spite of Celies’ dilemmas, it is quite clear that "The Color Purple" it is not the story of Celies’ suffering but of her victory.  It is a great and triumphant movie. One important theme that may be overlooked is escapism. We find a woman escaping the constraints within her life, and those which was placed on her mind, to finding herself; she embarked upon a new life, a truly new identity, while embracing others who suffered from similar complexities. Hence, for the viewers’ discretion, one should see beyond the obvious and thus see the overlooked emphasis on escapism; wherein, this was a dominant theme by far in this historical film.

     ~Lady Kimberly