When Alice Walker published her 1982 novel The Color Purple, she probably didn’t expect to gain a film adaptation, a Broadway adaptation, and now, a musical film adaptation of her Pulitzer Prize-winning. However, in 2023, Walker’s tale of Celie, a Black woman enduring numerous life hardships who finds hope, strength, and love through a sisterhood of Black women, comes alive again in its second on-screen adaptation. Directed by Blitz Bazawule and adapted into a screenplay by Marcus Gardley, The Color Purple is indeed brought to life by the skillful performances of a star-studded cast.
In this reimagining of The Color Purple, we find the lead character Celie taken over by the acting talents of Fantasia Barrino, who took on the role on Broadway in 2007, and newcomer Phylicia Pearl Mpasi. Mpasi lives out Celie’s younger years on-screen opposite Halle Bailey’s Nettie and eventually Colman Domingo’s Mister. Mpasi does a fine job highlighting a talkative, bright-eyed young woman navigating a painful life. Still, when Barrino takes the reins, Celie becomes a woman of few words, living out an abusive marriage to Mister.
Barrino may not have much to say, but her eyes and body language speak volumes of sadness and pain. The Grammy Award-winning singer shows that her talents aren’t just within the recording studio, as she finds triumph and hope on-screen. However, when the time comes for her to let her vocals fly, Barrino brings the house down with soulful delivery every time.
Barrino is not alone. Danielle Brooks, who plays Sofia, is a complete scene-stealer. Her ability to convey Sofia’s lively, no-nonsense demeanour is a delight, especially with her song “Hell No.” Speaking of lively, Taraji P. Henson electrifies as the performer Shug Avery. Her rousing entry number, “Push da Button,” quickly cements her as one of the most talented and charming stars out there. Of course, the rest of the cast, including Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, H.E.R., Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ciara, Deon Cole, and Louis Gossett Jr., bring their “A-game” to The Color Purple. But together, Barrino, Brooks, and Henson are the trinity of heart within the film.
Bazawule, known for his directing work on Beyoncé’s Black Is King, definitely takes a page from Queen Bey’s book. Due to this, the musical performances within The Color Purple meet at the intersection of Broadway performance and music video. While some of the performances simulate conversations or monologues, using some of them as imagination (like when Celie helps bathe Shug) creates a new avenue that only a musical film could go down. Featuring lush sets, slick dance numbers courtesy of choreographer Fatima Robinson, and dazzling costumes, it’s easy to be whisked away into the fantasy, as much as Celie does with Shug.
Speaking of Celie and Shug, fans of Walker’s novel know of the two women’s romantic relationship, a component downplayed within the original film and the Broadway rendition. Bazawule’s The Color Purple doesn’t expand on their romance as much as the book, leaving room for a Black sapphic relationship to be explored further, but instead uses it as an awakening for Celie and a way for the two characters to strengthen their friendship.
While Black sapphic relationships aren’t as explored, other relationships are used as vehicles to tackle topics, such as misogynoir, racism, patriarchy, abusive power dynamics, and sisterhood. Through the intricate web of relationships within The Color Purple, audiences gain insight into the systemic oppression of Black women from the 1910s to 1940s that, shamefully, still mirrors the challenges Black women experience today.
When it comes to the most prominent moments within The Color Purple, Henson’s “Push Da Button” and Barrino’s soulful rendition of “I’m Here” come to mind. However, Brooks’ pivotal Thanksgiving dinner table scene cements her as an acting force to be reckoned with. While her character plays on being audacious and defiant, audiences will witness an individual who can genuinely access a spectrum of emotion on-screen. When you look up the word “range” in the dictionary, Brooks’ name is right beside it.
While the musical film adaptation is a bit toned down in storytelling compared to the novel, this new shade of The Color Purple is vibrant thanks to the performances of an all-star cast and music video-like experience within the film.
Rating: 9/10