Films for Breakfast

The story of The Color Purple is one that is so timeless and narratively powerful that it has stood the test of time for generations and across different mediums of storytelling. The latest iteration tells the same story you know before – a decades-spanning tale of love and resiliency through sisterhood and one woman’s journey to Independence. Obviously the thing that sets 2023’s The Color Purple apart from the original Steven Spielberg film or any other iteration of the story is the fact that it is a full-fledged musical. Having never seen the broadway production of the musical, I was a bit dubious to see how the film would pull-off such heavy subject matter in a format where the characters often breakout into song and dance, but to my absolute surprise, this is a wonderful incarnation of the classic story.

The film is directed by Blitz Bazawule, who previously directed The Burial of Jojo as well as Black is King – one common factor throughout all of his projects is his striking visual language that feels extremely fitting for that of a movie musical. Especially with his work in Black is King, which I can only imagine is what solidified that he was the man for the job here – he brilliantly brings to life these musical numbers in an extravagant way with immersive set-pieces and rousing songs that sweep you off your feet. On a technical standpoint, the film is pretty marvelous as the sound mixing, editing, and production design all play heavily into how seamlessly the story flows and how massive the scale of it feels. 

Another important factor when it comes to adapting The Color Purple for a new generation is nailing the casting, and this iteration does a hell of a great job with assembling quite a dynamite ensemble full of incredible actors. Every single member of the cast is fantastic in their own right and it would take up this entire review to shout everyone out, but as far as the supporting cast goes, Danielle Brooks and Colman Domingo truly blew me away with their powerful performances here. Brooks in particular steals absolutely every scene that she’s in, and will ultimately be most people’s favorite character. 

However, the real heart of the film lies within the lead performance of Fantasia Barrino as Celie; Barrino has already played the role many times before as she was cast in the broadway production of the musical years ago, but what she’s able to do alongside A-List actors here is truly impressive. Every single sequence she either commands the screen with her lovable personality and magnitude, or breaks your heart with some truly raw acting and emotion. Every single musical number that she’s in she absolutely nails, especially her rendition of I’m Here – which absolutely brings the house down.While I do think there are moments where the film feels a bit overlong and like it could have benefitted from a tighter final edit – I still found the film to be wholly entertaining and emotional in all the ways it feels like the filmmakers and crew intended. From the incredible set pieces, top-notch music, impressive direction, and fantastic performances all around –  all of this culminates into The Color Purple being something truly special; it feels like a perfect balance of new and old alike. 

4/5