Die Farbe Lila

Greetings again from the darkness. It all began with Alice Walker's 1982 novel, for which she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Shortly thereafter, Steven Spielberg turned it into the movie event of 1985, with a memorable cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and yes, Oprah Winfrey. The film received eleven Oscar nominations, yet was shut out in all categories. Jumping ahead 20 years (2005), Marsha Norman created a musical stage book that turned into a smash hit on Broadway, receiving eleven Tony nominations. It was 2015 when the musical revival hit the stage, re-establishing the story as part of the fabric of the entertainment world. Along the way, Ms. Walker's book had been frequently banned and censored, and the adaptations were sure to pick and choose what to cover and how to do so. Here we are forty-one years after the book's publication, and director Blitz Bazawule (Beyonce's BLACK IS KING, 2020) delivers a moving and bold film version (screenplay by Marcus Gardley) based on the musicals, the novel, and the original film.

The film opens on the Georgia coast in 1909 by establishing the bond between young Celie (newcomer Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey, THE LITTLE MERMAID). When the two are forcefully separated, Celie loses the hope Nettie always provided, and soon she's living a miserable existence as one abused by Mister (a powerful Colman Domingo, RUSTIN) who treats her poorly by regularly taking out his frustrations. Assuming the role she made her own on Broadway is Fantasia Barrino as adult Celie, whose presence and spirit contain the heart of the story.

Memorable characters and performances are everywhere we turn in this production. Danielle Brooks ("Orange is the New Black") is a powerhouse as Sophia, a role she also owned on stage. Sophia is wife to Harpo (Corey Hawkins, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), one of the few men trying to break the tradition of abuse ... not that he has much choice. Taraji B Henson is a jolt of energy as singer Shug Avery, one of the few women from this neck of the woods who gained independence and made a life (mostly) on her terms.

The supporting cast is filled with talent and surprises. David Allen Grier appears as Reverend Avery, Shug's estranged dad. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (ORIGIN) appears in flashbacks as Celie's Mama. Elizabeth Marvel ("Homeland") is the unforgiving and racist wife of the Mayor, and one who has such an impact on Sophia's life. Oscar winner Lou Gossett Jr (now 87 years old) shows us exactly how his son Mister turned out the way he did. As this is a musical, we would expect musicians to play a part, though it's quite a treat to see H. E. R. As Squeak (Harpo's girlfriend), Jon Batiste as Grady (Shug's fashionable husband), and Ciara in a critical appearance as grown-up Nettie. There is also a well-placed cameo early on that harkens back to Spielberg's movie.

Covering at least the decades of 1907 through 1945, we see how each character changes depending on their circumstances ... especially Celie and Sophia, as well as an attempt at redemption by Mister. At least three 'showstopper' songs are included here. Taraji B Henson offers a rousing "Push da Button", and Danielle Brooks is adamant about where she stands with "Hell No." Fantasia Barrino's "I'm Here" may be the highlight since it encapsulates her resilience and perseverance. The quality of the film is evident in all aspects: cinematography (Dan Laustsen), score (Kris Bowers), Production and Set Design (Oscar winner Paul D Austerberry, Larry Dias), and Costumes - especially Shug Avery's - (Francine Jamison Tanchuk, Rashad Corey). Serving as Producers are Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Alice Walker, and Scott Sanders, to name a few with long time ties to the story. It's clearly a labor of love and passion for those involved, and ends with a tear-jerker reunion over Easter dinner. Not many follow the production trek of novel to film to musical to musical revival to musical film, and even fewer have ever done it this well.

Opens in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.

It's a decent new adaptation of The Color Purple with gorgeous production designs, solid direction and good performances from the cast members. Director Blitz Bazawule does a solid work on handling the tone and setting alongside with the production sets, costumes, and camerawork being really colorful and beautiful. The musical singing moments, while some of the musical tracks weren't great, were solid with some pretty good lyrics and musical tones explored. Many of the performances were pretty good as there wasn't a single poor performance.

Since I have read the book and seen the first adaptation from Steven Spielberg which I really liked, I felt the emotional core and writing isn't as strong as it could be as there were some elements that felt thin and could have been explored a bit more. Since this is based on the broadway version, I haven't seen the broadway version so that might explain the disconnection. There were some pacing issues and some of the dialogue moments were a little odd. Overall, it's a decent adaptation but I prefer to watch Steven Spielberg's version.

Danielle Brooks truly stole the show as Sofia in the film, shining like a star. Her talent and beauty are simply awe-inspiring. Whenever she graced the screen, a smile would automatically appear on my face, and I couldn't help but feel a slight blush. Her performance was filled with sensitivity and power, making her the perfect fit for the role. I have no doubt that she will have a long and illustrious career, deserving of celebration.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my Christmas morning than being immersed in the timeless charm of this classic film's stunning visuals and captivating sound. I'm absolutely thrilled to keep playing the soundtrack on repeat!

My Rating 6.5/10

I'm a as huge fan of Broadway musicals only a few transfer successfully when they are adapted to the cinema screen .

I didn't get to see the stage version of this musical so I can't comment except to say in my opinion this adaptation although brimming with a very talented cast didn't really work for me .

I read that 13 songs were cut from the original Broadway stage version so it can hardly be considered an authentic version of the Broadway musical .

The composer of the additional music for this movie Kris Bowers has added a few pleasant but forgettable songs .

I felt this version of the original story by Marsha Norman was disjointed missing the emotional aspect of the 1985 movie and that the songs in the movie interrupted the flow of the story.

It's the same story of a black Southern woman Celie struggling to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and abusive husband over four decades .

Celie with the help of her sisters and an unexpected inheritance escape her abusive husband and is reunited with her stolen children.

I felt the emotional impact was trivialised or diminished a little by adding music and songs to the mix.

The ensemble cast is impressive headed by Fantasia Barrino as Celie the role that Whoopi Goldberg who has a cameo in this version received a Best Actress Oscar nomination in 1986. The role of Sophia played excellently in this version by Danielle Brooks also earned Oprah Winfrey an Oscar nomination in 1986 for her portrayal of Sophia.

Other impressive performances from Taraji P. Henson as the flamboyant Shug Avery and Colman Domingo as the menacing Mister helped make The Colour Purple entertaining for me .

Oprah Winfrey is co producer with Steven Spielberg who directed the 1986 version.

This version directed by Blitz Bazawule cost an estimated $USD 100,000,000 to bring to the screen .

The original 1986 version cost an estimated $15,000,000 and was a huge success grossing $ 98,500,000 it will be interesting to see how the musical film version performs at the box office.

The Colour Purple musical version for me was like attending an Evangelical Baptist revival meeting where sinners repent and are miraculously transformed ,it's a little too preachy for me.

The Color Purple novel is one of the greatest pieces of American literature. The film adaptation a masterpiece worth of a 10/10.

What is presented in this iteration of the novel and the film, a musical version has to be one of the worst musicals to ever be adapted to film.

There original film has musical numbers that are magical and memorable. That elevate the story and bring a soul and substance. This musical version has no memorable moments. The strongest being 'Hell, No" which unfortunately lands flats. Fantasia's 'I'm Here' is another powerful track but gets lost in the mix of what are essential filler tracks that have been through the Disneyfication machine. The musician H. E. R. Barely gets to offer her incredible voice to the ensemble.

The story plods along at times incoherently. The rawness of the novel, left out presumably to making it 'family friendly' which is a major mistake. The rawness of this story, or this novel, of these iconic and remarkable characters is the foundation of the entire point of why the colour of Purple is so important as an analogy of God and His Grace.

Each actor shines, but the direction is so lost these incredible actors moments get lost with them. It's hard not to keep one's memory from harking back to the powerful performances from the original film. Nothing can erase the majesty of that film.

A very disappointing outcome that just leads to the conclusion that this musical project just doesn't work.