TL;DR – While it has its powerful moments, you can’t help but sit there and feel that this would have been better not as a musical.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening for this film

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

The Color Purple Review –

Today, we are looking at a film that is quite difficult to parse because it is a film of mountains and valleys. When it soars, it soars, and you are captivated by the movie as it sweeps through the sky. But for every peak, we must then wade through a deep valley of missed opportunities. It is such a stark range that it is hard to find your footing at times.

So to set the scene, Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and Nettie (Halle Bailey) are grouping up on the Georgia coastline at the start of the 1900s. Things are difficult for the sisters for many reasons, most notably their step-father Alfonso (Deon Cole). His actions have led to Celie being pregnant twice now and both babies being sent away. Life for Celie only becomes worse when she is married off to Ol’ Mister Johnson (Louis Gossett Jr.) and her sister is sent away. But the coming of Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) might be the chance Celie (Fantasia Barrino) needs to find herself.       

While I do have a number of frustrations with this film, when it is soaring, you can’t help but get caught up with it. Fantasia Barrino is a stunning action, and it is a delight watching her dominate every scene that she is in. The moments when she gets to really belt out a song might be the film’s highlight. Her performance also helps give the movie the strength that it needs during some of the moments when it is not working as well. The rest of the supporting cast also provides command performances. The standout being Taraji P. Henson, who gets to fly in and shake everything up with probably some of the best musical numbers of the film.

Then, there is the subject material that is difficult to explore because of how raw and uncomfortable it is. The Color Purple does not shy away from the many racial inequalities that permeated the lives of the people in the early 1900s and whose legacy is still felt today. Indeed, there is one character that might be in contention for the worst person in cinema for 2024. Also, Celie’s journey of self-discovery under a sea of trauma is a deeply compelling narrative. Though, just maybe, not every character that gets a redemption arc here deserves a redemption arc.     

However, for all the film’s strengths, you can’t help but see all its missteps. Every person has a different barometer when it comes to musicals. For me personally, the threshold of ‘did this need to be a song?’ was raised with many of the musical numbers. I think I would have preferred the focus on the drama because the musical numbers create a tonal discord that the film struggles to deal with. Also, with the narrative, we jump through the years of Celie’s life, so we get a survey of who she is, but I would have preferred some more depth because some crucial parts of the plot fly by. Finally, I did have some frustrations with the cinematography, most notably the lighting. Much of the film used a more natural light pallet from the 1900s. However, this meant that a lot of actors’ faces were lost in shadows.

In the end, do we recommend The Color Purple? This is the question that I have been wrestling with for the past week. I am not sure that I can because those who are interested in the drama will likely get put off by the musical elements, and those who are there for the musical elements will find the drama elements tough to get through. There are some outstanding cast performances here. They just get lost in the shuffle at times. If you liked The Color Purple, we would recommend to you In the Heights.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched The Color Purple?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Color Purple
Directed by – Blitz Bazawule
Screenplay by – Marcus Gardley
Based on – The Color Purple by Alice Walker & The Color Purple by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray & Marsha Norman
Music by – Kris Bowers
Cinematography by – Dan Laustsen
Edited by – Jon Poll
Production/Distribution Companies – OW Films, Amblin Entertainment, SGS Pictures, Quincy Jones Productions, Domain Entertainment, Universal Pictures & Warner Bros Pictures.
Starring – Fantasia Barrino, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Halle Bailey, Ciara, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Gabriella Wilson ‘H.E.R.’, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Deon Cole, Tamela Mann, Elizabeth Marvel, Stephen Hill & Whoopi Goldberg  
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: PG; United Kingdom: 12A; United States: PG-13