Review of The Color Purple (1985) by Bill M — 24 May 2016

When you think of 80's Spielberg you think friendly aliens, adventurous archaeologists and escapist magic, but the 80's was also when the berg started to get blockbuster fatigue and wanted to be taken seriously, so he went about the ambitious task of adapting Alice Walkers The Color Purple for the big screen, a difficult book that many balked at the idea of a white man directing, especially a white man primarily known for popcorn flicks (clearly these fools never really paid attention to the sheer mythic force of his storytelling) the movie of The Color Purple can be a bit Narratively uneven but it's powerful and richly told cinema all the same, and it's also the film that introduced Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey to the world.

Concerning the brutal and cruel life of Celie (Goldberg) who is sold to a proper bastard "Mister" (a terrifying Danny Glover) at a young age to bow to his every rotten whim, and is separated from her sister Nettie along the way.

It's a tough watch but is made palatable and watchable by the truly terrific performances from Goldberg, Winfrey and Margaret Avery as the glamorous Shug, and by the rich, detailed gorgeous filmmaking from Spielberg.

True, the movie can be a little bit overwrought and overblown but the master filmmaker injects every frame with life and power. Bold and tough but ultimately moving and beautiful, told with intoxicating vividness.

This is a gem. Also, get your hankies ready.