Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (March 10, 2024)
Back in 1985, Alice Walker’s popular novel The Color Purple became a cinematic hit via Steven Spielberg’s big-screen adaptation. 2023 brings another version of Purple, though with a twist, as it delivers a musical rendition of the story.
Purple focuses on the tale of two sisters, Celie Harris (played by Phylicia Pearl Mpasias a child and Fantasia Barrino as an adult) and Nettie (Halle Bailey). During her youth, Celie’s father (Deon Cole) sexually abuses and impregnates her twice. He sends away the babies, which Celie fears means he killed them.
After Papa Harris refuses to allow Nettie to marry Mister (Colman Domingo), Celie does wed him, mainly because Mister needs someone to watch his kids. After Papa Harris attempts to molest Nettie, she briefly moves in with Mister and Celie, but Mister kicks her out when Nettie rejects Mister sexually.
Celie remains behind and suffers a rough existence. Mister abuses her and also cheats on her with Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), a blues singer who stays with them when she comes to town to perform.
Shug and Celie eventually fall in love with each other. Over time, Celie continues to have an occasional relationship with Shug as she also deals with some self-exploration and growth, all with the hope that she might eventually see Nettie and her children again.
While the 2023 Purple doesn’t become a carbon copy of the original, it obviously follows the same plot and characters. Though I don’t know the 1985 film backwards/forwards, I’ve seen it enough times to see that the 2023 edition follows it pretty closely, though it continues past the point where the 1985 flick ends.
To my surprise, the 2023 flick tends to soften rough edges even more than the 1985 edition did. My main complaint about the Spielberg film stemmed from the fact that he painted its many ugly elements in such a warm glow that they lacked the necessary impact.
I hoped that the 2023 version would give Purple the edge the story involves, but that doesn’t become the case. Given that I never read Walker’s novel, I can’t help but wonder if these issues stem from the source and not the cinematic adaptations.
Maybe all this comes from the Walker original and the story always showed a light, sentimental tone. However, it still feels weird for a tale with so much abuse and cruelty to come across as so light and airy.
Whatever the case, the 2023 Purple feels oddly toothless, as it doesn’t give the horrible story elements much impact. As much abuse occurs in the movie, nothing much conveys the characters’ moods or emotions.
Inevitably, the biggest change here comes from the decision to make the 2023 a musical. Actually, this version debuted on stage in 2005, so it took quite a while to move to the big screen.
I admit that the story of Purple doesn’t seem like a great fit for the musical format. That said, I remained open that the songs and choreography might bring something interesting to the project.
Unfortunately, the shift to the musical format makes Purple even less emotional than its song-free predecessor. Again, this comes back to the basic abuse that so permeates the narrative.
With all those tunes, Purple feels awfully peppy and perky for a tale that emphasizes so much poor treatment. The production numbers add a frisky sheen that further negates the drama.
Granted, I get that the ultimate purpose of Purple is to tell a tale of female support and bonds. That side of things works well, as the songs connect to these domains just fine.
Unfortunately, I just think the musical numbers diminish the movie’s dramatic potential too strongly. They lean toward such an upbeat vibe that the darker side rarely comes through in a clear manner.
The other biggest shift with the 2023 Purple comes from its director. In 1985, Spielberg was arguably the most successful director in Hollywood, as he’d delivered five huge hits over the prior decade.
On the other hand, the 2023 version goes with a much less proven filmmaker. Under the moniker “Blitz the Ambassador”, Blitz Bazawule started out as a musician before he leapt to short films in 2011 and then features in 2018.
Bazawule’s most-seen project came from 2020’s Black Is King, where he functioned as one of many directors. That flick was really Beyonce’s baby, though, and doesn’t seem to be a strong indication of Bazawule’s talents.
While I can’t say that Bazawule harms Purple, I also don’t sense that he brings a lot to the table. The film progresses through its narrative and musical numbers in a competent manner but not one that ever feels especially involving.
Again, the choice to favor an oddly peppy vibe so much of the time becomes the biggest issue. This trickles down to performances, as the actors tend to go broad most of the time.
While I didn’t care for the Spielberg Purple, I did think the cast did well. In this version, we get cartoonier stabs much of the time, and that also diminishes the movie’s power.
For instance, Danielle Brooks’ Sofia just comes across as one-dimensional most of the time. When the character undergoes a transformation midway into the tale, she manages a shift, but she still fails to make Sofia the real personality Oprah Winfrey produced in 1985, and this movie “fixes” Sofia too quickly and cleanly.
Barrino lacks the subtlety and nuance of Whoopi Goldberg’s 1985 Celie. Like Brooks, she produces a credible performance but not one with much dimensionality.
It probably doesn’t help that the nearly 40-year-old Barrino needs to play a woman in her early 20s for a good chunk of the film. Goldberg wasn’t yet 30 when she made the 1985 movie, so she matched the role’s age better.
I do appreciate that the 2023 Purple focuses more on Celie and Nettie as kids. It felt like the 1985 version rushed through that side of the story, a mistake given that their relationship acts as a key.
The 2023 Purple also darkens as it goes, but unfortunately, even this side of things feels contrived and melodramatic. After all that perkiness, these stabs at drama don’t fit cleanly.
Ever since I first saw the 1985 Purple, I hoped another adaptation might give it the bite the story appears to need. Unfortunately, the 2023 version fails to improve on its predecessor, especially because its musical numbers make matters feel even fluffier.
