Synopsis:
After being sexually abused by her father (Leonard Jackson) and giving birth to two kids who are adopted away from her, a young Black woman (Desreta Jackson) growing up with her beloved sister Nettie (Akosua Busia) in early 20th century Georgia becomes the wife (Whoopi Goldberg) of an abusive widower (Danny Glover) whose singer-lover, Shug (Margaret Avery), turns out to be an unexpected light in her life.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• African-Americans
• Child Abuse
• Deep South
• Domestic Abuse
• Feminism and Women’s Issues
• Steven Spielberg Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that “Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s probably unfilmable Pulitzer Prize-winning [1982] novel” — which is nonetheless about to be released in a new rendition — “is a shrewdly directed, impressively acted movie,” but “it intentionally alters Walker in objectionable ways.” He asserts that “Spielberg and [white male] writer Menno Meyjes trade in Walker’s hellish, male-controlled, black world where Celie grows from an unappreciated, exploited, sexually abused, unloved daughter (Desreta Jackson)”:

… “to unappreciated, exploited, sexually and physically abused wife (Whoopi Goldberg).”

He argues that Spielberg and Meyjes “substitute [in] a fairytale world that is shot through rose-colored lenses, where Celie’s problems with [her] husband… are no worse and no more realistic than Cinderella’s when living with wicked stepsisters” while also choosing “to downplay such controversial themes as rape, incest, racism, and most significantly, lesbianism.”

He writes that “the book’s feminist theme — [that] Celie’s personal growth, self-respect, and rare moments of happiness are the result of being with strong women like Shug and her foolish stepson’s battling wife, Sofia ([Oscar-nominated] Oprah Winfrey) and reading the letters from her sister in Africa — is almost completely diluted.”

Peary points out that while the “picture has many big scenes from the book,” “they’ve been taken out of context so that we can’t see their thematic relevance.” For instance, “we don’t see that Sofia is gotten out of jail by her former romantic rival, Squeak (Rae Dawn Chong), so we are deprived of the significant black-female-bond theme that makes the whole sequence involving Sofia important.”

It’s been so long since I read The Color Purple that I can’t recall details of all these subplots — meaning I must judge the film on its own merits. To that end, I agree with DVD Savant’s assertion that:

The film has no appreciation of what destitute misery can be — even Harpo’s broken-down shacks look like something wonderful from Tom Sawyer’s Island. There’s never a day in Georgia that isn’t drop-dead gorgeous, even when it’s raining or a storm is brewing; everybody looks well fed, if not downright prosperous. The movie is designed within an inch of its life, and cinematographer Allen Daviau drowns the screen with pretty pictures that warp the world of poverty the film aims to depict.

Indeed, this is an overly pretty, glowing film about some of life’s most challenging topics — but to its credit, it ultimately shows that women can (and will) prevail even in the face of seemingly unbearable insults. Goldberg’s fine breakthrough performance makes this film worth a look, though I ultimately don’t consider it must-see viewing — and I’m not particularly looking forward to the remake, either; I’d rather re-read the book one day.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Whoopi Goldberg as Celie
  
• Allen Daviau’s cinematography
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a one-time look for Goldberg’s performance, and for its historical significance as an Oscar nominee.

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article