There’s so much fantastic singing, dancing, and heart on display in THE COLOR PURPLE. Yet, I’ve been debating whether it is an experience now 🤩 or an experience whenever 😊. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to say it’s worth seeing in the theatre this Christmas when it’s released.
What director Blitz Bazawule does with trauma in THE COLOR PURPLE is bittersweet. Somehow, he can mold how people who experience trauma place their hopes into fantasy. And the fantasy in this film happens to be fifteen lavish musical production numbers you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Outside of the beautiful musical moments, the film belongs to its cast. There’s a reason that Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks received Golden Globe nominations this morning. Fantasia reminds us that she’s still “Here,” and Danielle Brooks tells us “Hell No” to ignoring her power.
With the combination of ORIGIN and now, THE COLOR PURPLE, audiences are inundated this month at the theatres with the lesson that if we don’t learn from our trauma and do the work, we will be forced to repeat it. These are heavy themes. While ORIGIN is much more serious, PURPLE is a crowd-pleaser that allows us to connect with the theme and leave the theatre feeling hopeful.
With all that praise, my one complaint is that the film feels long and uneven. It took a bit to get going because the story centers around an inactive protagonist for the first half. Yet, there are moments in THE COLOR PURPLE that are pure movie magic that I cannot wait for audiences to experience. Be patient, let the movie grow on you, and enjoy this beautiful story on how people can “turn pain into power.”
It’s available in theatres starting on Christmas Day.
