The Color Purple is a renowned novel by Alice Walker that was published in 1982. It tells the story of Celie, a young black woman living in the rural South during the early 1900s. The novel follows Celie’s life as she endures abuse, racism, sexism, and other hardships, while also depicting her relationships with her sister Nettie and singer Shug Avery. The Color Purple was a huge critical and commercial success upon its release, winning multiple literary awards and becoming a bestseller. Its poignant story and unforgettable characters made it a prime candidate for adaptation into a film.
The Making of The Color Purple Film
In 1985, director Steven Spielberg adapted Alice Walker’s novel into a film version of The Color Purple. The movie was produced by Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment, with Quincy Jones as a co-producer. Screenwriter Menno Meyjes penned the script, closely following the novel’s narrative and dialogue. The film starred Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as Mister, and Oprah Winfrey in her film debut as Sofia. Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Willard E. Pugh, and Akosua Busia rounded out the main cast.
Spielberg was drawn to direct The Color Purple because of the powerful story and multilayered female characters. However, as a white male director, some questioned whether he could or should helm the adaptation of such an acclaimed novel about the black female experience in America. Spielberg took steps to make the production as respectful and authentic as possible, including hiring black casting director Reuben Cannon and delegate substantial creative oversight to Quincy Jones. The $15 million budget film began production in North Carolina in mid-1985 and wrapped three months later.
Plot Summary of The Color Purple Film
The film version of The Color Purple adheres closely to the novel’s plot and themes. It opens in rural Georgia in 1909, introducing the teenage Celie who is pregnant by her abusive father. She gives birth to two children, a girl and a boy, but her father takes them away from her. Celie is eventually married off to an older widower known as Mister, whose first wife was named Nettie.
Celie endures abuse and degradation while living with Mister and his children in his dilapidated farmhouse. Mister’s son Harpo wants to marry an independent young woman named Sofia, who becomes Celie’s friend and ally. Sofia stands up to Harpo’s attempts to dominate her, leading to continual domestic conflicts. Meanwhile, Celie’s beloved sister Nettie comes to live with them but is sexually assaulted by Mister, leading Nettie to flee.
Years pass during which Celie believes Nettie is dead. Then she meets Shug Avery, Mister’s mistress and a sultry blues singer, who becomes her close friend and eventual lover. Revitalized by the relationship, Celie finds the strength to stand up to Mister and leave him. She discovers that Nettie has been writing to her from Africa, where Nettie works as a missionary. A motivated Celie vows to create a business making pants, her own symbol of independence.
In the emotional climax, Celie is joyfully reunited with Nettie and the two children Celie bore years earlier but were taken from her. The film ends with Celie gaining independence, love, spirituality, and a sense of her own identity.
Film Analysis and Reception
The Color Purple film visualizes the novel’s story in vivid detail, with some minor changes. Spielberg’s approach is generally understated, avoiding flashiness and letting the power of the narrative and performances come through. Cinematographer Allen Daviau gives the film a dreamy, nostalgic look using soft focus and glowing golden colors.
Several scenes and songs provide emotion and backstory. Celie singing “Miss Celie’s Blues” early on help establish her sadness and longing. The lively “Harp Medley” in Harpo’s juke joint conveys community and African American culture. Shug’s sultry cabaret number “Too Beautiful For Words” demonstrates her sexual confidence and allure that draw Celie in.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Celie | Whoopi Goldberg |
| Nettie | Akosua Busia |
| Mister | Danny Glover |
| Shug Avery | Margaret Avery |
| Sofia | Oprah Winfrey |
Whoopi Goldberg is outstanding in her film debut as Celie, masterfully portraying her quiet dignity, inner strength, and gradual transformation. Margaret Avery as glamorous Shug and Oprah Winfrey as tough Sofia also give powerful performances and became stars. Danny Glover excels as the cruel but conflicted Mister. The supporting cast is also uniformly excellent.
Overall, the acting, directing, cinematography, costume design, and Quincy Jones’ blues-infused score make The Color Purple an effective and moving adaptation. Its tearjerking emotional quality led some critics to call it sentimental, soap opera, or Spielberg’s “fourth sister” to other female-centered dramas he produced in that decade like The Turning Point, Julia, and Terms of Endearment. But most reviewers praised the film as a respectful adaptation and landmark for African American stories and characters.
The Color Purple was a box office success, grossing over $100 million worldwide. Its popularity and impact on audiences led to 11 Academy Award nominations, though shockingly Spielberg was not nominated for Best Director. Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey both received acting nominations, making them only the second and third black women ever nominated for the Best Actress Oscar at the time.
Legacy and Analysis
Since its release, The Color Purple has become recognized as one of the most culturally significant films of the 1980s and in African American representation on screen. It proved that mainstream dramas about black women and their lives could find both commercial success and critical acclaim. The popularity of Goldberg, Winfrey, Avery and the other cast members boosted their careers tremendously as well.
Critically re-examining the film decades later, cinephiles argue it captures an authentic, unique perspective of black female experiences through its female-driven narrative and characters. Celie’s personal awakening and growth into independence represents both a fight against oppression and journey to self-actualization. Her relationships with Sofia, Shug, and Nettie convey the importance of female community and solidarity that empowers Celie to change her life.
Some specific aspects of the film seem dated now, such as certain costume choices and production design that lean into rural Southern stereotypes. The domestic abuse is also portrayed mildly compared to how a similar film might today. But most praise the adaptation’s commitment to Celie’s story and perspective above all else.
The Color Purple continues to be studied, appreciated, and rediscovered to this day. It paved the way for future generations of black storytellers and filmmakers. Though not a perfect adaptation, it captured the emotional spirit of Alice Walker’s novel and brought Celie’s inspirational journey to life onscreen in a poignant, entertaining, and culturally significant film.
Conclusion
In summary, there is indeed a highly acclaimed film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple. Directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1985, the film brought the story of Celie to life through moving performances, music, cinematography, and production design. Though not without some flaws, it is now considered a landmark film that humanized and celebrated the black female experience onscreen. The popularity of its cast like Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey confirmed the mainstream appeal of diverse stories. With emotional power, cultural weight, and respect for its source material, the film version of The Color Purple became an instant classic.
