Summary

The Color Purple is a heartwarming and soulful musical adaptation, maintaining the essence of the story while adding fresh elements from the Broadway show. The film explores the journey of Celie, a woman who finds strength and love in a sisterhood forged through hardships and abuse, ultimately empowering her to stand up for herself. With an exceptional cast and powerful musical numbers, The Color Purple is a must-see that highlights the importance of self-respect, female friendships, and overcoming obstacles to find victory and peace.

Based on the 1982 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel of the same name, 1985’s The Color Purple made its debut with Steven Spielberg as the director. The coming-of-age period drama was originally met with positive reviews, though its inclusion of violence, rape, and incest sparked controversy for audiences everywhere. Still, it made its mark on film history thanks to a great cast that stole our hearts. Thirty-eight years later, director Blitz Bazawule assembled a new cast to tell the story of unwavering sisterhood and resilience. The Color Purple is an adaptation of the Broadway musical, which itself is based on the book and movie, but it contains as much soul and great storytelling as the first film.

This musical adaptation is so easy to love. It keeps the soulfulness of the original film while adding the fresh, captivating elements of the Broadway musical.

What Is 2023’s The Color Purple About?

The Color Purple spans decades, capturing the tumultuous life of Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) from her early years into adulthood (where she’s played by Fantasia Barrino). Despite all the abuse she experienced in her life, Celie knew one thing to be true — her love for her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey). But when their father offers a young Celie’s hand in marriage to Mister (Colman Domingo), a local farmer with a bad attitude and drinking problem, Celie finds herself separated from her sister for the first time in their lives. Life also gets lonelier when Mister abuses Celie every night and forces her to be a slave in her own house.

The Color Purple (2023) Based on the novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple is a drama-musical film by director Blitz Bazawule. The film centers on Celie, a young African American woman living through the tumultuous era of the early 1900s in the South who finds her independence through a budding sisterhood that she cultivates over decades. Release Date December 25, 2023 Director Blitz Bazawule Cast Taraji P. Henson , Danielle Brooks , Colman Domingo , Corey Hawkins , Halle Bailey , H.E.R. , Phylicia Pearl Mpasi , Fantasia Barrino Rating PG-13 Writers Marcus Gardley Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

As the years progress, Celie finds comfort in the women she befriends by circumstance. Sofia, played by the scene-stealing and incomparable Danielle Brooks, marries Mister’s son Harpo (Corey Hawkins). She befriends Celie after recognizing her kindness and love for others. There’s also Shug Avery, played by the talented and fierce Taraji P. Henson. For the first time in Celie’s life, she’s surrounded by people who genuinely love her — something she has not known since Nettie. They also teach Celie about the value of self-respect, ultimately enabling her to find love within herself and stand up to her abuser.

The Color Purple Has An Exceptional Cast & Amazing Musical Numbers

When it comes to this version of The Color Purple, there are no ifs, ands, or butts about it in terms of its quality and entertainment. Run, don’t walk to the theater to see Bazawule’s adaptation. If it isn’t for the story itself, you should see the film for the talented cast, as every actor works their magic onscreen. There are also fantastic musical numbers filled with so much light and soul. Like the Broadway musical, which ran from 2005-2008, the film contains hits like “Push Da Button,” performed by Taraji P. Henson and “I’m Here,” performed by Fantasia Barrino. “Hell No” is sure to become a fan-favorite as Danielle Brooks’ powerhouse vocals will make women feel empowered.

As we live in a time when remakes of classic films are popular, it might seem silly to rally behind a film whose story centers around a woman who spends the majority of her life being abused. But trust me when I say that the film is far more than that. The Color Purple emphasizes the importance of self-respect, female friendships, and finding a way to love yourself despite people in your ear telling you otherwise. It’s a story about one woman’s victory in spite of her background and the obstacles standing in her way. Thankfully, Marcus Gardley’s adapted screenplay highlights this in a way that will inspire the next generation of The Color Purple fans.

It goes without saying, but this musical adaptation is so easy to love. It keeps the soulfulness of the original film while adding the fresh, captivating elements of the Broadway musical. Bringing together an exceptional cast, great music, and memorable ensemble numbers and choreography, you’ve got yourself a recipe for a remake done right. But if there’s one thing that could have been improved upon, it’s definitely the lighting in certain scenes. For example, when Barrino finally gets her chance to let loose and exemplify triumphant emotional victory and success, the lighting becomes hard on the eyes and the faces are barely visible. It’s the moment Celie steps into her independence and finally gets the joy of experiencing true peace and light. It just would’ve been great to have a visual representation of that as well.

Still, as a whole, The Color Purple is a resounding success with respect to quality and entertainment. From its messaging about sisterhood and self-love to its stunning filmmaking achievements, it’s a film that’s easily enjoyed on the big screen. While the entire cast brings their A-game, Barrino, Henson, and Brooks steal the show with Oscar-worthy performances. During the film’s final 30 minutes, there won’t be a dry eye in the theater. If there was ever a time to support a remake, it’s now with Bazawule’s beautifully acted and timely musical. ​​​​​​

The Color Purple will release in theaters on December 25. The film is 140 minutes long and rated PG-13 for violence, language, sexual content, and mature thematic content.