The Color Purple (2023)

★★★★ (out of 5)

Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple is a show-stopping crowd-pleaser. This bold and fresh new take on the Alice Walker novel pays homage to Spielberg’s original film as well as the Broadway musical while still standing on its own. It is an emotionally stirring, gorgeous triumph of a movie musical. Its power will seep into your heart and inspire a whole new generation. The core of the story is intact thanks to fantastic performances from Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks, who beautifully convey the depth of their characters. The performances are THE reason the movie works. Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, and Colman Domingo are unbelievably good, and each is doing something so different from the others. Gorgeously made from the cinematography to production design, it’s a story of resilience and forgiveness, capped by a truly moving ending. It’s hard not to be bowled over by the end of The Color Purple. Stunning imagery and an extraordinary ensemble take this musical in powerful directions. The narrative is pretty rushed through, despite powerful themes, but it’s still a showcase for show-stopping musical numbers. It exceeded every expectation I had and moved me to tears by the end.

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Film Info:

Premise: A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

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Warner Bros

Directed by Blitz Bazawule

Screenplay by Marcus Gradley

Based on the novel by Alice Walker

Based on the stage musical by Marsha Norman

Cast: Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Phylicia Pearl Mpasi

Runtime: 2hr 20min

Rating: PG

Drama, Musical

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IMDb Rating: 8.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

RT Audience Score: 95%

RT Critic Average: 7.4/10

RT Audience Average: 4.7/5

Metacritic Score: 70

CinemaScore: A

Letterboxd: 3.7/5

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Fun Fact: The Color Purple was first written as a book by Alice Walker, which was turned into a film directed by Steven Spielberg. The book then was turned into a Broadway musical in 2005. This second film adaptation of The Color Purple is based on the musical adaptation.

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Trailer: