The Color Purple (1985)

A tale of rural black life in Georgia during the early decades of the twentieth century. This is Spielberg, so the production values are first rate. The acting is good, and the photography outstanding. This is largely, I suppose, a feminist movie, as most of it is devoted to the female characters, and how cruelly oppressed they are by their men, husbands and fathers alike, being treated as property, (or slaves) including rape and forced incest being simply facts of life. I was surprised that it was an hour and a half in before the point was made about how evil white people are. The payoff at the end was sentimental, poignant, and powerful, a Spielberg trademark. Overall, I suppose it's a pretty good movie, albeit hard to watch the abuse and cruelty.

This movie is the epitome of the Southern pre-World War I to post World War II climate and attitudes. While following the plight of a young Black woman,forced to marry at a young age, it addresses issues such as gender biases, racial stigmas, religion and even those matters which some may still consider taboo in today's society. Poignant and dramatic this movie is well worth its weight in gold. I am so fond of this movie that I wrote a 15 page term paper on it and the various topics explored for a sociology course. I have not read the book,although I plan to someday but it's my understanding that the book is as good, if not better, than the film version. Samotta Wiggins

A black Southern woman (Whoopi Goldberg) struggles to find her identity after suffering years of abuse from her father and others over forty years.Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film four stars, calling it "the year's best film." He also praised Whoopi Goldberg, calling her role "one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history" and predicting she would win the Academy Award for Best Actress. (She was nominated but did not win.) Now, with all due respect to Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover... this film just did not appeal to me. Not that anyone was bad, but I just never really got into it. I suspect this has something to do with Spielberg, and his need to be overly sentimental. Something about this film seemed like it was cynically designed to trigger emotions rather than achieve them organically.

The Color Purple where do I begin with this important and wonderfully poignant masterpiece of American Cinema where do I begin? This film is so beautiful and heartfelt and just so wonderfully enriching and thoughtful it really is so enriching you really connect with the film I was really connected to the film I have a strong meaningful connection to the film and that is the strong emotional and heartbreaking story that Unfolds and it never lets you relax right until the end which I won't spoil here I want everyone to experience the film for themselves I just was lost for words and I am now writing this review because I want the film to connect with all who see it I really do feel a strong connection to Celie and Nettie the sisters at the heart of the story and all the other characters Shug Mister Harpo Squeak Old Mister Sophia everyone in this film has a story and a connection to the main story and I feel really strongly that this film is for all time and will live on for new generations to experience and connect with these extraordinary women of such courage and such strength and sheer determination to not tolerate the abuse and the suffering they are forced into it really touched me at the end when everything is resolved because they learn an vital lesson in life stand up for yourself and never tolerate suffering and abuse and the film is very timely for me because the news always reports on sexual violence by dominant men and women which should not be tolerated and it really should not be happening and sadly people still feel the need to treat people with no compassion or dignity or kindness and that is what I took away from this unforgettable film never force yourself to dominant forces of malevolent evil I really feel strongly towards this film that it teaches the world that sexual violence or discrimination towards any race of gender inequality is an act of pure evil and an injustice to all man kind and all race religion and all people! Back to the Film the direction is unforgettable and so pristine it reminded me of the old films of the 30s and 40s it really touched me the film has a strong directional style it effortlessly moves from one time period to the other with ease The film is presented over a 35 40 year period or time frame if you will and the first few scenes are so beautiful because they capture all emotions in a split second Happiness, Joy and wonder when Celie and Nettie are playing together and doing their signature hand clapping motion which is their way of connecting with each other they know they are together because they have connected with their hand clapping motion and song that they sing every time they are on screen together they love each other and are very close you can feel that! Celie at the tender age of 14 is pregnant 14 forced to have a baby by her own father yes her own father and one of the most brutal sequences of any motion picture is when her newborn is taken away from her by her own father I knew I was in for an unforgettable movie experience after those opening scenes because I cried my eyes out I lost all happiness and joy and cried and I cried all the way through in the right places of course and when the end comes you have earned it it just does not happen straight away this a long film but boy is it it worth your 2 hours and a half but you have to watch it alone no one else you need to gather yourself at the end of the film and sit through the credits just so you can process what you have just experienced and to think this landmark Masterpiece was nominated for 11 Oscars and won none is a travesty a real tragedy it is awful that this film was not Best Picture and was beaten by Out of Africa out of blooming Africa it is a real travesty the biggest mistake the Oscars ever made The Color Purple is the Best Picture of 1985 and here's why, the direction the performances the emotional connection you have to the characters and the uplifting ending! One Last note I want to thank Steven Spielberg for giving us this film so we all can share this film with the world and connect with it as much as I did and always will for all time! And no John Williams score can you all imagine what he would have composed for this masterpiece instead we get Quincy Jones why I have no flipping idea! I will always love this film and after the credits finished I cried for hours so I urge all people to see this heartbreaking and thoughtful film as it should be loved and it will always be loved for all coming time!