The Color Purple
Blitz Bazawule pulls together a crowd-pleasing reimagining that captures the hope and spirit of the novel and original film, thanks mainly to its musical numbers and a fantastic ensemble.
While everyone thinks December is the perfect month for studios to release their biggest sequels to cash in on the holiday season, there’s always room for the movie musicals. That’s a thought that never came to mind until recently. Whether it’s an original or a long-awaited adaptation, even those who don’t consider themselves fans of the genre go to support them, drawing in solid box office numbers and tons of awards buzz. In years past, we had "Dreamgirls," "West Side Story '21" (bombed at the box office, but fantastic nonetheless), "La La Land," "Chicago" and "Les Misérables," to name a few. The only failure is "Cats" on all fronts.
And it looks as though we're including the reimagining of "The Color Purple" that will please longtime fans of the source materials that came before.
Growing up on the Georgia Coast in the early 1900s, Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her younger sister Nettie (Halle Bailey, fresh off her fantastic performance in "The Little Mermaid") are as close as any siblings could get. She used to have children until her father (Deon Cole), who she raped, took them away from their home, knowing nowhere of their whereabouts. Worse yet, local farmer Albert “Mister” Johnson (Colman Domingo), who initially wants to marry her sister, is forced into marriage with Celie. It’s a marriage caused by emotional and physical abuse, but things look bright once Nettie runs away and comes to see Celie, which Mister eventually agrees to.
When he attempts to rape her, he kicks her out in the pouring rain, telling her never to return. The last time they see each other is when Nellie promises to write her every day. Years have passed, and now, as an adult, Celie (Fantasia Barrino) hasn’t been the same, especially since she doesn’t know if the only person she cares about is still alive, but her life might change for the better with the women surrounding her.
When Warner Bros. announced that they would not remake but adapt the classic story for a new age, the stakes were too high not to fail. This is based on Alice Walker's 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which was popular for Black culture at the time. But for film fans, many will remember when one of our greatest filmmakers, Steven Spielberg, first adapted Walker's story to the screen in 1985, the drama that launched the careers of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.
And, as with any great film, they would eventually adapt it into a musical, which ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2008, collecting 11 Tony nominations, and revived nearly a decade later, winning Best Revival of a Musical. With Ghanaian filmmaker Blitz Bazawule ("The Burial of Kojo," "Black is King") and writer Marcus Gardley tasked to make this version their own, does it come close to the original's greatness? Though I haven't seen it in three years, it is very close. But you get a splendid musical, so that's a win in my book.
Compared to what Spielberg brought nearly 40 years ago, there’s enough to make this film version come to life rather than making it like a stage play with a reasonable budget. Not every Broadway show turned to film has the most effortless transition, at least from a cinematic standpoint. Once some of that slow pacing around the first act turns and you get to know the characters, you have to appreciate the incredible amount of energy and dedication put forth not only into honoring what many loved. It's hard to remember how much changed between here and the novel.
Still, within the continuing themes of empowerment and hope, you go on this journey with Celie and rarely have happy moments after she spends decades in an unloving household and cannot advocate for herself. However, she thinks the person she loves the most could sustain her resilience despite life's ups and downs.
It's important to note upfront that although Warner Bros. did the same with their marketing in "Wonka," this is a musical. As they are good, I've come to value them and think others who aren't are worth suggesting. I wasn't familiar with any of the songs from Marsha Norman's stage play, drawing on the sounds of gospel and blues. So, I was particularly interested in how they would add to the drama despite having yet to listen. It would help if you got used to everyone singing and dancing once they break out.
It becomes even better after that as it transitions into the breathtaking first tune, "Mysterious Ways." From what I've read, 13 songs from the musical didn’t make the cut. Bazawule's direction often finds a marvelous or vibrant style whenever it enters Celie's imagination during her sequences. Songs like "Hell No!" and "Push Da Button" are infectious to groove to and worth listening to again once they’re over. Furthermore, it's impossible to ignore the outstanding choreography by Fatima Robinson.
With the music being good, the performances from everybody are great in one of the year's best ensembles, especially with three to be in the conversation for months to come. It's great to see Fantasia Barrino aiming for a career comeback since we all know she could sing when she won the third season of “American Idol" but didn't have success anywhere as prominent in her life afterward. Barrino doesn’t disappoint as the soft-spoken Celie, who hasn’t had trouble returning to this role since she played it on Broadway.
All we need to learn about her is letting this character know she needs a saving grace. Everything that goes on with Celie, you want to root for her, allowing her to explore anything outside what she hasn’t already known. Surprisingly enough, she had never acted in a film before this. Even if not everyone loves this adaptation, there will be an agreement that Barrino is flawless, especially when given a strong voice during “I’m Here.”
Taraji P. Henson, perhaps the biggest name in the cast, was the perfect actress for traveling blues singer Shug Avery, previously played by Margaret Avery. Coming from someone who hasn’t always been a fan of her, Henson shines when Shug attempts to make Celie come out of her shell to life itself, hinting at a bisexual side to Shug.
The MVP, though? Danielle Brooks, who also reprises her role from Broadway as well. She brought so much life to Sofia. Anytime she's on screen, she has you laughing with her snark to get you tearing up with what her character, unfortunately, has gone through to defend herself, crumbling what was once a boisterous life.
As for the supporting cast, Domingo, one of our finest actors today, can't do any wrong with his role as Mister, which might be the first time I wouldn't say I liked a character he played since he's so vile human. You also got Corey Hawkins as Mister's son Harpo (great to see in another musical after "In the Heights"), Louis Gossett Jr. as Ol' Mister, and for the brief screen time Mpasi and Bailey had in the beginning, you instantly buy into the sisterly relationship between the young Celie and Nettie. The only one I wished had more to do was Gabriella Wilson, aka H.E.R., as Squeak. She was a part of one song and didn’t have much dialogue, but I almost expected to sing more because the award-winning artist has one of the best voices in R&B today.
If I had to pick between the two, both are great when separating one from the other. But I'd go back to the original. Not just because Spielberg handled the timeless story but because they took their time to breathe in those heavy, emotional moments. That's not to say it was absent here. They moved some things I noticed around, making for a couple of pivotal moments for a film that spans several decades, feeling rushed and less effective than I hoped they would be. Even if those flaws aside, you have to be cold-hearted not to hold back the tears near the end if you're already familiar with the plot.
Does it have any strong awards chances? If the studio hopes to campaign for a film other than "Barbie," this must be a win for them. Funny enough, did you know the original failed to take home 11 of its Academy Award nominations? It recently received two Golden Globes nominations despite missing Best Picture- Musical or Comedy. But there's a chance to see Best Picture, Actress for Barrino, Supporting Actress for Brooks (possible frontrunner), and Costume Design nominations.
"The Color Purple" doesn't try to hold a candle to the original. Yet when seen through musical eyes, this latest adaption captures the spirit of the first film and the Broadway show in more ways than others with its show-stopping musical numbers and a stellar Black ensemble led by an incredible Fantasia Barrino.