| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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Perfectly directed and acted to perfection
by Adam (movies profile)
Apr 14, 2008
8
of
8 people found this review helpful
Now this film proves that Steven Spielberg is the real thing. Was he snubbed by the Academy for Best Director? HECK YEAH! What more could you want from "The Color Purple"? It's practically perfect in every way.
"The Color Purple" is the story of a young woman named Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), who started out as a victim of incest, and was deprived of the children she bore her father. The only true light in her life is her sister Nettie, who she would play with in the purple fields.
A man named Albert (Danny Glover) comes to her father's house one day and asks to marry Nettie. Her father says that Nettie's too precious, but that he can have Celie, even though a lot of people think she's ugly. So Albert marries Celie and then Celie's misery begins.
Celie doesn't know Albert's real name because she's only able to call him "Mister". One day Nettie comes to their house to stay for a while, but when Albert tries to make a move on her and she fights back, he kicks her straight out of the house, and she moves far away, promising to write to Celie constantly, but Celie's received no letters lately.
Albert continues to treat Celie cruelly. Then one night, a woman named Shug Avery (Margaret Avery) comes to stay at the house. At first, she doesn't like Celie, but then for some reason they become friends. But Shug Avery isn't the only woman who changes Celie's life.
Celie's brother Harpo marries a lady named Sophie (Oprah Winfrey) who, too, doesn't become friends with Celie until later. In the future Sophie goes to jail for punching a white man who slapped her. She's bailed out by the man's wife, but is also forced to become their maid. But when Sophie meets her family on Christmas, she regains some happiness. Also, Celie and Shug Avery discover something that Albert has been hiding...
"The Color Purple" was adpated from a novel by Alice Walker, which I haven't read, but I have a good feeling that Spielberg adapted it well. I read somewhere that Spielberg was afraid to direct it because he's not black, but Quincy Jones helped him by saying, "You didn't have to come from Mars to do 'E.T.', did you? This movie should be directed by the person who loves it most."
I just loved "The Color Purple". It did not win Best Picture because I think it lost to Sydney Pollack's "Out of Africa". But I think it should have won, and Spielberg should have been nominated for Best Director.
Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, and Danny Glover all give oscar-worthy performances that sum up one of the best ensemble casts ever.
Variety reviews did not love this movie. They quoted, "Over produced, overly manipulative Spielberg drama is saved by outstanding performaces". WHAT A TERRIBLE THING TO SAY! This film is not over produced OR overly manipulative. I'm glad that Roger Ebert thought like me and gave it 4 stars, though.
"The Color Purple" is one of the 50 best movies I've ever seen. It's not a feel good movie and it's not one you'd want to watch over and over again because of the brutal scenes, but I mean it, "The Color Purple" could become one of the best films you'll ever see in your life. |
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