The Color Purple

‘The Color Purple’ (2023) Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

It wasn’t that long ago when I had the pleasure of reviewing 1985’s “The Color Purple” on this very website, and I absolutely adored the film.  When I heard there was going to be another adaptation, I was eager to see how it was going to turn out, especially because it was going to be a musical.  Musicals are tricky, as they need just the right amount of music to make it work.  The music needs to really lend itself to the scenes instead of taking over the film entirely. If it’s one song after another without any time to let them breathe, it can take away from the performances on screen. I’m happy to report “The Color Purple” has all of the right ingredients to succeed with flying colors.

The film follows two sisters, Celie and Nettie Harris (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Halle Bailey) who are stuck living with an angry and abusive father named Alfonso, played by Deon Cole. He’s especially hard on Celie, who has two children after being raped by her own father.  He separates her from her children, which causes her much distress and agony. It isn’t long before the two sisters are separated after their father gives away Celie to a man by the name of Mister, played by Colman Domingo.

Mister is a farmer who already has three children of his own, and he’s equally as rough on Celie as her father.  She’s basically doing everything for him, and she feels defeated from the years of abuse from both her father and her current husband. In addition to this, Mister is also hiding all the letters she receives from her sister Nettie, so they have no contact with one another.  Between not being able to see her children or her sister, she feels like life is nothing but misery and pain for her each and every day.

As Celie gets older, she is played by “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino.  She definitely has the emotional range as an actress to pull off this incredibly demanding performance. When it comes to the musical numbers, it is second nature to her.  Along the way, she gets to know Sofia, played by Danielle Brooks. She is married to Mister’s son, Harpo (Corey Hawkins), and she is not afraid to whip him into shape.  This is the first time that Celie has seen a strong female in her life.  She is used to women having to take everything from their husbands without being able to defend themselves.  It is certainly not the case with Sofia.  One day, Celie hopes to be as strong as Sofia.  She also meets another strong and confident woman in Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), a jazz singer who completely captivates Mister.

During this film, we see a journey which starts in 1909 and goes all the way until 1947, and it’s one of two sisters who are bound and determined to meet up with one another again, no matter what it takes. Along the way, even Sofia deals with some hardships of her own and feels defeated and drained by her new circumstances.  Celie learns to grow and finds out how to stand on her own two feet.  Heck, even Mister learns a thing or two about himself and how he needs to modify his own behavior.  Everyone’s character arch is worth watching throughout the course of the film’s two hour and twenty-minute run time. 

This is a film that never feels boring, stale, or repetitive because these are fleshed out characters whom, as an audience, you care about and root for throughout the course of the story.  For the most part, the film is pretty true to the original 1985 film in terms of its major moments.  As a whole, it works on so many levels. It starts with this tremendous cast of actors and actresses from Fantasia Barrino to Taraji P. Henson to Danielle Brooks to Colman Domingo to Corey Hawkins to Gabriella Wilson ‘H.E.R.’. Everyone brings their heart and soul to the project in addition to their lungs. They were very diligent about putting this cast together from top-to-bottom. Ciara also appears as an older version of Nettie.

“The Color Purple” is ultimately a story about sisterhood, resiliency, strength, and the human spirit. I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two films as they are trying to accomplish the same thing while going about it in completely different ways. The music enhances the story and adds a different take to the material while also keeping the essence of Steven Spielberg’s original film alive and well.  For my money, this is a perfect film.  I was emotional during it, I laughed at the appropriate moments, and the songs stayed with me as well.  I wanted to listen to the soundtrack as soon as the film was over, and I played it on repeat.

Remakes of popular films are tough to pull off, especially when it’s from a novel, a nearly forty-year-old film, and a successful Broadway musical as well. However, when the new version is a fan of the original film, you have what is known as a labor of love.  If you enjoyed 1985’s “The Color Purple,” you will certainly enjoy 2023’s “The Color Purple.” It is about perspective, though.  I believe this film needs to be seen as its own entity.  If you are able to do that, you will enjoy the heck out of it. 

The filmmakers know the audience cares about these characters, knows them, and wants to see them succeed.  It takes you on an emotional journey from start to finish with a tremendous payoff in the end which is very satisfying. You very much live through these characters. You feel their pain, their happiness, and you root for them to succeed. Along the way you laugh, you cry, and you never lose hope.  That, in my opinion, is the beauty of a great film like “The Color Purple.”  There is a reason why this story has stayed with people for so many years and still resonates with viewers to this day.

* * * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Color Purple” is released on a single-disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It also comes with a digital copy of the film. It has a running time of 141 minutes and is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language.

Video Info:  There is a beautiful Dolby Vision transfer on the film here, and it looks magnificent. This is a film filled with life and color, and it’s on full-display with this flawless transfer. The HDR really brings out the richness of the picture quality.

Audio Info:  We are also treated to a pitch-perfect Dolby Atmos soundtrack here which allows us to enjoy each and every single song the way it was intended to be heard.  It stays at just the right bass and volume throughout the film, as it’s never too loud or too soft.

Special Features:

Creating The Color Purple: A Bold New Take on the Beloved Classic

Hell Yes! The Iconic Characters of The Color Purple

In the Flow: Creating The Color Purple’s Biggest Musical Moments

 A Story For Me: The Legacy of The Color Purple

Should You Buy It?

If you enjoy the power of cinema, do yourself a favor and pick up “The Color Purple” on the day of its release.  It is worth every penny, especially with the special features that are included here along with a Dolby Vision transfer and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack.  This is also a terrific film that really tugged at my heartstrings.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I put this movie in my 4K player and sat down to watch it.  However, I was blown away by its high-energy, its music, the intense drama, and the phenomenal performances. This version of “The Color Purple,” which was directed by Blitz Bazawule, is the kind of movie I wish Hollywood made more of these days.  It’s an adult drama that invigorates the spirit and is good for the soul.  “The Color Purple” on 4K comes highly recommended as a day one purchase.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Color Purple’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

This was my first time having the pleasure of sitting down to watch “The Color Purple,” directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. This is a director who has never been afraid to tackle any type of film project.  When watching this film, his trademark heart is clearly on display.  What makes it stand out and be as memorable as it is, though, is the terrific acting, especially from Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.  “The Color Purple” is based on the novel by Alice Walker, which I have not read, so my film review will be solely based on the film itself. I have no frame of reference to compare it to, and I think that is more than OK. Too often, people get caught up in comparing films to books, and in the end, they are two totally different mediums.  You will never be able to cover everything from the book because you are limited by the running time of the film.

The film takes place from 1909 to 1943 in Georgia where we are introduced to Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg), a young teenager who already has two children, a boy and a girl, because she was raped by her father. Her father took the children from her and has essentially sold them off for profit.  Celie wonders where her children are and worries about them constantly, as any mother would when they are abruptly taken.  She was also married off, thanks to her father, to Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), an abusive man who makes her do anything and everything for him.  He beats her, forces her to have sex with him, and controls every aspect of her life. In his eyes, this woman serves one purpose and one purpose only, which is to take care of him. She even has to call him “Mister.”

During this time, she was separated from her sister, Nettie, played by Akosua Busia. When Albert came looking for a wife, he was initially interested in Nettie, but their father would not part with her and insisted on Celie going with Albert.  Celie is often told she is too skinny and ugly.  She sees inspiration in the strong-willed Sofia, played by Oprah Winfrey.  Sofia is not one to take guff from anyone in her life, but you wonder how long this will last before she is beaten down by the rampant racism she experiences.  We get to know another woman named Shug Avery, played by Margaret Avery, a flamboyant performer who has Albert Johnson’s full attention. Even though Shug comes with some baggage, she seems to know how to hold her own and capture the attention of men while remaining independent and tough. Celie is hoping to receive some letters from her sister Nettie, but she starts to wonder why they never show up and if her sister is even alive after they were separated.

“The Color Purple” covers a great deal of time and because of the amount of time it covers, four decades, it makes sense that the film is 153 minutes. This was one of those films where I rarely noticed the running time because it was a prime example of good old-fashioned Hollywood craftsmanship. When film critics and fans say things like, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” in my eyes, they are talking about films like this one, which was released in 1985.  It’s a drama made by adults for adults.  This is a serious subject matter, but it’s handled with Spielberg’s trademark warmth, tenderness and care. Because we spend so much time with Celie on her journey, we can’t help but root for her to overcome her circumstances.  We get to know her and the women close to her as they have made an impact on her life.

The film is incredibly patient in allowing things to slowly build up to its climax without ever feeling like it’s taking too long to get there. Goldberg is tremendous here.  She expresses a plethora of emotions on her face without ever overacting or doing too much. You can look in her eyes and see the pain and heartache of her character.  It’s a terrific performance, and I think people forget what a great actress she is when given the chance to show off her range of emotions. Of course, she won an Oscar for “Ghost” in 1991.  However, this is clearly the film she should have won an Oscar for, with all due respect to Geraldine Page.

“The Color Purple” does sometimes go off the beaten path with its narrative plot and, at times, it can spend too much time with one character in a specific time and place instead of sticking with Goldberg and her character’s story.  I was very, very close to giving this film four stars, especially because of the emotional weight which was incredibly powerful.  It earns the tears of the audience here by allowing things to build up and develop.  Winfrey is also really, really good here and earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in this film along with Avery.

One of the biggest criticisms of this film is that it was directed by a white director in Steven Spielberg. This is a film populated with a cast which is 95% Black.  I can see why audiences would take issue with that, but Spielberg is wise to stay out of the way of the material and the actors.  Even though some of his familiar touches are here, as mentioned earlier, it doesn’t feel like a typical Spielberg film.  He is sensitive to the story, and he does a terrific job of allowing the performances of his cast and the story itself to take center stage.  He’s more in the background here and, for once, it isn’t a bad thing.

* * * ½ out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Color Purple” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It also comes with a digital copy of the film.  The film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 153 minutes.

4K Video/Audio Info:  This is another top-notch transfer from the folks over at Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. The HDR here really shines in some of the outdoor scenes which are lively and colorful.  It has a cinematic feel to it while also cleaning up the picture as well.  The audio track is also really solid, as this is a dialogue heavy film, and it’s easy to understand everything that is being said with a clean and crisp audio track here. Subtitles are included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Conversations with the Ancestors: The Color Purple from Book to Screen

A Collaboration of Spirits: Casting and Acting The Color Purple

Cultivating a Classic: The Making of The Color Purple

The Color Purple: The Musical

Teaser #1

Teaser #2

Trailer

Should You Buy It?

If you read my 4K reviews (and thank you if you do), you know what a big proponent I am of film history and preservation. In the year 2023, Warner Brothers has done their job in going through their extensive catalogue of films and bringing them to 4K and making them look bigger and better than ever.  There are a ton of important films in the Warner Brothers library that have received their day in court this year. In order for them to continue doing their job, we need to support their restorations of classic cinema, especially when they are done in such a magnificent manner, leaving no stone unturned. “The Color Purple” pops off the TV here and looks better than it ever has, thanks to this 4K transfer.  It sounds great as well. The film itself is an important piece of cinematic history that shows off great acting and tells a vital story with a great cast of actors and one of the best directors of all-time. At its current price point, which is around $23, this is a day one purchase on its December 5th release date.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.