Review of The Color Purple (1985) by Cameron J — 11 Jul 2011

Man, what a moving, inspiring portrait on being able to do anything, in spite of race. Who would have guessed that Steven Spielberg - one of the whitest men in the world - would be able to make a really good black movie? It makes me think that even I can do something good for the black community of which I am not a part of. Of course, Spielberg had the advantage of not being from Alabama. We're cool now, but with our shakey history, I doubt they'de trust us with something like this. It looks as though no one wins when it comes to racism. But seriously though, this really is a charming, moving film, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect.

The film suffers from forced events, expendable scenes, bumpy transitions between segments and some melodrama. What might be the biggest flaw of the film is the underwhelmingness. The story isn't terribly original and the execution isn't extremely outstanding. The film doesn't feel fresh and it doesn't help that it feels as though it's just there. The film comes and goes and would have been forgettable were it not for its strengths. Through all of its flaws, the film remains moving and well-crafted and while it could be better, it is supported by a lovely score, decent production designs, fine cinematography, reasoanably effective humor and a good ending. Of course, what really carried the film and makes it so effective and memorable is the acting.

Each person plays his or her role sharply, but perhaps none more so than leading woman Whoopi Goldberg. She is such a compelling and immersive force that really pulls you into the film and has you feeling almost every beat of her pain. She carries the film and is what keeps it so compelling and memorable, in spite of the overly memorable elements. Oh, poor Whoopi. I felt so invested in her struggle to find her friend and her chilen'-I mean children. Man, I'm gonna need cool down after being exposed to 2-and-a-half-hours of full-on, classic south. I mean, I'm pretty southern, but I'm not this southern.

Overall, "The Color Purple" isn't a terribly fresh concept, nor a terribly outstanding execution of that concept, but the compellingness, charm and powerful performances - particularly Golberg's - ultimately make it a genuinely moving classic.