Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg took a melodramatic DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.
In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective "understated" can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com
On the DVD: The Color Purple makes a sumptuous transfer to DVD in this special edition. The lush and vibrant cinematography is well served by the widescreen format; Quincy Jones's warmly enveloping score, shot through with jazz age references, is superbly enhanced by surround sound. The extras are ideal companions to the main picture, detailing the passage of Alice Walker's novel from book to screen. Walker herself recalls the anxieties of the process, while director Spielberg and various cast members remember many poignant moments during and after filming, reminding us with a jolt that this beautifully made, hugely popular and inspirational film didn't win a single Academy Award. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful but flawed.......2008-01-19
This is a exquisitely directed, perfectly paced piece of film-making. The performances are beautiful and the cinematography captures the shifting moods of the film admirably. Goldberg is fantastic in a role which flies in the face of Hollywood 'leading lady' conventions, projecting a quite dignity and mesmerising spirit.
However, for all its realism and courage, 'The Colour Purple' is marred by its depiction of men. They are uniformly abusive, weak-willed or idiotic. As a woman I felt distinctly uneasy about the confrontational attitude of the movie. A less bitter and less polemical approach to the question to gender would have elevated this gorgeous film to classic status.
This is a visually beautiful film, which is both thought-provoking and inspiring. Ultimately it suffers from its willingness to surrender complexity to ideology, particularly in the final scenes.
Out of his depth.......2007-03-26
Spielberg is famous because he did Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Those films were his moment of glory. Films like this one are too contrived and self-aware to be credible. The characters and the plot suffered because this was Spilebergs desperate attempt at making a David Lean film. Sorry, man, you failed.
The fields which are made of colour.......2007-03-13
Celie is a young girl who has a tough life in Georgia, pregnant at 14 with her father's child; the death of her mother and being sold off in a forced marriage with Mr. (who in the film is given the first name, Albert). She yearns for a better life and has nobody in the whole world-expect her sister, Nettie-who truly believes in her........
The Color Purple was actually a big hit at the box office when originally released in 1985 and at least set to win the top prize at the academy awards-the best picture had it not been for a controversial backlash. Sadly, this has been dug in the ground and forgotten about.
Although the book we know acts as a diary for Celie's frustation against the world, only some of her letters remain in the cut (even though a voice over is heard for the majority of the film where the other times, the action is visual) which includes the death of her mother; being sold off to Mr and her times with Shug Avery.
Spielberg treats the material very carefully, adding his unique magic (although sometimes it is notable that it becomes uncomfortable and a tad ridiculous) heartbreak of their lives desperate to live seperate identites. There is a lot of material that is cut from this adaption that includes Nettie's missionary time in a greater light; acknowliding Celie's sexuality (expect for some clues that are still apparent), her relationship with Shug and forgiveness with Mr.
Spielberg tries his best to make this film accessible for the sort that may never read the book or find it too hard-going and depressing which at times it can become. Generally, he takes the route of the relation and bonding of Celie and her sister, Nellie to emphasise their closeness which is at the heart (even though the characters of Shug Avery, Sofia and Harpo receive a lot of screen time and attention) to help relieve the viewer from the distressing pain that Celie suffers from the hands of Mr, if only necessary or appropriate. Quincy Jones (writing two songs alongside Lionel Ritchie) contributes a brillant score, which was probably the result of the release of the musical.
However, despite being a very fine and admirable adaption, the film strays away from the book which loses some of the charm, honesty and hope plus the brave absent of stereotype attitudes of men where Walker is keen to tell us there are always two sides to the story they face in their lifetime-a massive blow. Speilberg however does make this entralling and more entertaining than it should be and he certainly makes good use of the locations especially the warm red sun and bright striking purple fields.
Average, overblown Spielberg.......2006-09-22
The general problem with Spielberg's attempt to tackle high profile political issues such as African-American oppression, or more particularly, the oppression of African-American women, in films like 'The Color Purple' is that he is not willing to make the film a true account; at its basic level, he is not willing to tell the story just how it happened, or just view the characters as they are with all their depth intact. Instead, he does several things;
1. Whitewashes the three dimensional parts to make them accessible stereotypes to the audience. Goldberg gives a reasonable performance, as does Glover, but many of the others are marked only by a particular mannerism or outward nature. There is often little attempt to truly get to grips with these characters, particularly with regard to the caucasian ones who are merely 'the badguys'.
2. Instead of tackling the complexity of these issues through steady character building, atmosphere and dialogue, he uses elaborate, glossy and good-looking but often empty shots. Spectacular images of rape have no basis to their meaning because he fails to convey the reasons for the cruelty and deprivation except in two ways; caucasians and poverty. The audience is moved by these shots and the story as a whole because of Spielberg's skill with the camera, but there is no rationale behind much of the sadness. We never really understand who Danny Glover is, what motivates him and moreover what motivates the society of the South as a whole.
3. The film lacks a darkness and bleakness wholly appropriate to the time and period of the plot; it dosen't feel real or genuine because it has as much in common with a Disney picture as it does with a film like 'The Pianist'. The excess of soothing music and slapstick comedy scenes (contrasting horribly with the rape and murder) create a sort of sickly melange that fails in striking a dark, oppressive note (surely something which should be aimed for in such a subject). It's like some kind of puppet show where the puppets alternately make funny jokes and stab each other to death.
4. The first half hour is utterly dire. The appalling child acting coupled with a script that is clearly meant to be what people spoke like but really just sounds like a couple of modern child actors trying to sound like that is almost unbearable.
On the other hand, three stars is three stars; the film is moving, in general well shot and with some good performances, most notably by Goldberg herself, who gives a more convincing and thicker but less glitzy performance than the likes of Winfrey. The story is itself is good, although the plot has some gaping holes which Spielberg again whitewashes with sparkle and glitz, and the overall effect is, if not satisfying, entertaining, sad and even a little charming.
A must see!.......2006-07-19
If your idea of a good film is shootings, murders, explosions and vice, it may not be for you. If you have other interests then it IS! The film should have cleaned up at the oscars but the predominantly black cast may have been why it didnt. The film studies mens attitude to women at the time and white to black. Femenists will be seething and chauvanists may think again. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopie Goldberg are no less than sensational in their roles.
All creeds and colours over 14 should see this! 100 years has changed us all for the better.....or has it?
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg took a melodramatic DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.
In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective "understated" can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com
On the DVD: The Color Purple makes a sumptuous transfer to DVD in this special edition. The lush and vibrant cinematography is well served by the widescreen format; Quincy Jones's warmly enveloping score, shot through with jazz age references, is superbly enhanced by surround sound. The extras are ideal companions to the main picture, detailing the passage of Alice Walker's novel from book to screen. Walker herself recalls the anxieties of the process, while director Spielberg and various cast members remember many poignant moments during and after filming, reminding us with a jolt that this beautifully made, hugely popular and inspirational film didn't win a single Academy Award. --Piers Ford
Amazon.co.uk Review
"I've just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything." So says Cecilia (Mia Farrow), the central figure in Woody Allen's lyrically humorous Purple Rose of Cairo. The era is the Great Depression, and she is the bullied wife who finds escape in romantic movies, falling in love with the explorer hero, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), of the eponymous film. So far, nothing remarkable. But Allen has Baxter spot her in the audience, fall in love with her, and desert the picture, much to the irritation of the other characters. The surreal quality of the situation develops further when Gil Shepherd--the actor who played Baxter (Daniels again)--seeks out his fictional alter ego to persuade him back into the film and thus save both their reputations. Naturally Shepherd, too, falls in love with Cecilia, and she's left to choose between fiction and reality, chooses the latter and is then cruelly jilted. The message seems clear: fairytales are just that, make-believe. There's no such thing as a happy ending. Dating from 1985 (after Broadway Danny Rose and immediately before Hannah and her Sisters), this is one of the few movies in which Allen doesn't actually appear, though he's recognisable in every line of Farrow's character. It's also a nostalgic tribute to the era that defined movie glamour, the close-up of Cecilia's face at the end a moment of pure Hollywood. At 81 minutes, this is a small but brilliant gem.
On the DVD: Aside from the technological improvement of DVD over video, the new format adds little by way of features: you can view the original trailer, scan the film scene by scene, and there's a choice of subtitles in eight languages.--Harriet Smith
Customer Reviews:
One of five bona-fide Woody Allen masterworks..........2006-02-01
The Purple Rose of Cairo shows us just how vital a filmmaker Woody Allen is when removed from the bumbling, neurotic caricature, who often overwhelms the broader aspects of his work. Along with Love and Death, Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanours and Bullets Over Broadway, The Purple Rose... is a bona-fide masterpiece; one of the greatest American films of the last fifty years, and further proof (as if it were needed?) that Allen is a filmmaker equal to (if not greater than) the more celebrated likes of Coppola, Spielberg, Kubrick, Scorsese, et al. Like those films aforementioned, Purple Rose demonstrates that Allen can take on board the influence of European cinema and combine it with a style of his own, creating a film that relies heavily on character and conversation, and yet, is totally enjoyable and occasionally very funny.
The script is really one of Allen's best, combining a great and imaginative story with intelligent characters and believable scenarios... while the whole thing is made just that little more enchanting through the evocative recreation of depression era New Jersey, and the mannered, though no less impressive directorial flourishes from Allen. The cast is perfect too, managing to bring Allen's world to life, as well as presenting us with a believable emotional centre on which the director can navigate the more elaborate elements of the plot. Farrow has never been better as the put-upon dreamer swept up in her love of cinema, and, in particular, her dashing "leading man in the making" Gil Shepherd. As a result, the entire film, from almost the first frame to the last, can be seen as a treatise on the idea of escape and escapism, and how these ideas correlate with Farrow's character Cecilia, who, whilst attempting to escape from her life of drudgery, work and her cheating husband, becomes infatuated with Shepherd's latest film (also called The Purple Rose of Cairo) and his character Tom Baxter, a fearless adventurer cast adrift in the complicated world of New York's glittering social milieu.
Allen's script, like his later film Crimes and Misdemeanours, is full of self-reference and contains many different layers that compliment the more obvious elements of the script perfectly. For example, Allen plays with the idea of mirroring; having a character within the film (within the film) brought out of their natural habitat, and into a world that is completely alien. This is again referenced later when the same character (Tom Baxter) is brought out of that environment for a second time and dragged into the real world. Later, Cecilia is taken back into the film (within the film) on an adventure that mirrors the real life adventure the pair had previously been caught up in, before the third component of the story (Gil) is brought into the world of Cecilia... a place that is completely alien to his world of mansions, film premieres and celebrity parties!! These elements might sound confusing within the context of a review, however, the way Allen so casually places them within the plot is amazing. He never lets his ideas dwarf the story at hand, keeping the focus on the characters, whilst, simultaneously, playing a number of subtle games around them.
The concept of fictional characters invading the world of the living (and vice-versa) is never fully explained, so really, it requires a great leap of faith and a little suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience to really buy into the 'deeper' aspects of the film. As a result, I think the film can be interpreted on two different levels... either the whole thing is just a series of unexplainable phenomenon, making The Purple Rose of Cairo a fantasy film as enchanting as Who Framed Roger Rabbit or E.T., or the whole thing can be seen as a figment of Cecilia's imagination. The film ends in such a way that Allen seems to be suggesting that none of these events ever took place... creating a circular narrative that makes it easy for us to see the journey that the character has (supposedly) undertaken to be completely redundant; something that has merely destroyed her faith in the world more so than before, and perhaps, left her even more desperate to experience the warming glow and friendly familiarity of the nearest cinema screen.
As well as Farrow in the lead, there is fine support from Jeff Daniels as the exuberant character Tom Baxter and his bemused and frantic cinematic creator Gil - who manages to give the film a sense of heart, but also a bitter undercurrent - as well as small roles for Danny Aiello (as Cecilia's bullying husband Monk) and Allen regular Diane Wiest (as a local prostitute who helps Tom find his feet in the real world). There's also some nice cameos from Edward Herrmann, Van Johnson, Zoë Caldwell and Milo O'Shea as some of Tom's bewildered supporting characters, left to sit and (literally) chew the scenery, as they find themselves without their pivotal lead player. The ending might be a little too downbeat for some... not wanting to give too much away, but Alan does have a tendency to leave his characters high and dry, sacrificing the feel good factor in favour of some important life lessons, and the intrusion of real-life's cynical streak.
Regardless, The Purple Rose of Cairo is a fantastic film... one that draws you in with it's subtle and believable characterisations and eventually takes you completely by surprise with the deep emotional resonance of the plot. For me, it's one of Allen's masterpieces, and is proof that (along with Bullets Over Broadway) that he doesn't need to be in the film to deliver solid entertainment. It's certainly not as light and as frivolous as say, Love and Death, Annie Hall or Broadway Danny Rose, but it's lighter than the likes of Interiors, Another Woman and Manhattan. As a result, it'll probably appeal to the kind of people who don't normally appreciate Allen's particular blend of cinema, but really, regardless of personal tastes, this is a fantastic film... one that probably deserves to be worshipped alongside the likes of The Godfather, Taxi Driver or anything that Spielberg has directed since Jaws.
Extra! Character walks off screen for love struck waitress!.......2003-12-01
During the Great Depression Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is trapped in a dreary life with a soulless husband (Danny Aiello), so she escapes to the movies. There she becomes hook on "The Purple Rose of Cairo," which she watches so many times that Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), the dashing archaeologist of the film becomes so distracted he decides to leave the film and walks off the screen into Cecilia's life. Suddenly Cecilia is happy, even if Tom is just a fictional character. Meanwhile, Hollywood is in an uproar as other Tom Baxters are threatening to walk out of the picture as well, leaving it to actor Gil Shepherd to try and reign in the character he created.
Some critics dismissed this Woody Allen film as a flip on Buster Keaton's silent classic "Sherlock Jr.," a surreal fantasy about a film projectionist and amateur detective who climbs into a movie. But so what if the idea is not new? The chief charm here is what Allen does with the idea. The romantic triangle between Cecilia, Tom and Gil is pleasant enough, but for me what is hysterical is what is going on back at the theater with the characters in the movie who are waiting to find out what happens. Henry (Edward Herrmann) is worried they will turn off the projector and make everything dark, while Jason (John Wood) insists the movie is really about him so they do not need Tom to come back. Rita (Deborah Rush) points out she is rich and does not have to put up with this nonsense while the maid, Delilah (Annie Joe Edwards) objects to people being in the wrong reel. Of course the time comes for Cecilia to go through the looking glass to join Larry (Van Johnson) and the Countess (Zoe Caldwell) at the swank nightclub, where Kitty Haynes (Karen Akers) is quite upset to find Tom with another woman. The idea that movies are truly "screen plays" that the actors play out several times a day is carried off marvelously. Meanwhile, the audiences are staying at the theater to see what happens next. The non-movie is as interesting as the real thing.
Mia Farrow actually has the Woody Allen part in this Woody Allen movie in which Woody Allen does not appear. The accent is a bit much (not as grating as her comic turn in "Radio Days"), but Cecilia is clearly a sweet soul and there is something about the way the light of the movies plays with her eyes that captures her happiness at finding the escape. Of course, reality, not to mention the Hollywood studio system, are out for money and not happiness, so that there cannot be a storybook ending. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is more than a one-joke film, although certainly it is more streamlined that your average Allen film. Besides, despite the enticing impulse to do so, I do not see this as an indictment of Hollywood or the para-social interaction of real audiences with fictional characters. This is a charming little fantasy with enough of an element of reality to keep the dream from staying alive.
Though absent on screen, This is Woody's Best........2002-02-12
You can feel Woody even though you can't see him. A brilliant romantic movie which completley surprises you on the fourth performance. (You'll find out what I mean). Jeff Daniels plays two parts, his character in the Movie at the local Movie House and the Actor behind the Character. Mia Farrow is in love with both of them and wants to escape her bum of a husband and her going nowhere life. If this sounds confusing then you had better get the movie so that all will be revealed. The less you know about it the better the effect. Funny, Tearful and easy viewing
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg took a melodramatic DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.
In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective "understated" can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com
On the DVD: The Color Purple makes a sumptuous transfer to DVD in this special edition. The lush and vibrant cinematography is well served by the widescreen format; Quincy Jones's warmly enveloping score, shot through with jazz age references, is superbly enhanced by surround sound. The extras are ideal companions to the main picture, detailing the passage of Alice Walker's novel from book to screen. Walker herself recalls the anxieties of the process, while director Spielberg and various cast members remember many poignant moments during and after filming, reminding us with a jolt that this beautifully made, hugely popular and inspirational film didn't win a single Academy Award. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful but flawed.......2008-01-19
This is a exquisitely directed, perfectly paced piece of film-making. The performances are beautiful and the cinematography captures the shifting moods of the film admirably. Goldberg is fantastic in a role which flies in the face of Hollywood 'leading lady' conventions, projecting a quite dignity and mesmerising spirit.
However, for all its realism and courage, 'The Colour Purple' is marred by its depiction of men. They are uniformly abusive, weak-willed or idiotic. As a woman I felt distinctly uneasy about the confrontational attitude of the movie. A less bitter and less polemical approach to the question to gender would have elevated this gorgeous film to classic status.
This is a visually beautiful film, which is both thought-provoking and inspiring. Ultimately it suffers from its willingness to surrender complexity to ideology, particularly in the final scenes.
Out of his depth.......2007-03-26
Spielberg is famous because he did Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Those films were his moment of glory. Films like this one are too contrived and self-aware to be credible. The characters and the plot suffered because this was Spilebergs desperate attempt at making a David Lean film. Sorry, man, you failed.
The fields which are made of colour.......2007-03-13
Celie is a young girl who has a tough life in Georgia, pregnant at 14 with her father's child; the death of her mother and being sold off in a forced marriage with Mr. (who in the film is given the first name, Albert). She yearns for a better life and has nobody in the whole world-expect her sister, Nettie-who truly believes in her........
The Color Purple was actually a big hit at the box office when originally released in 1985 and at least set to win the top prize at the academy awards-the best picture had it not been for a controversial backlash. Sadly, this has been dug in the ground and forgotten about.
Although the book we know acts as a diary for Celie's frustation against the world, only some of her letters remain in the cut (even though a voice over is heard for the majority of the film where the other times, the action is visual) which includes the death of her mother; being sold off to Mr and her times with Shug Avery.
Spielberg treats the material very carefully, adding his unique magic (although sometimes it is notable that it becomes uncomfortable and a tad ridiculous) heartbreak of their lives desperate to live seperate identites. There is a lot of material that is cut from this adaption that includes Nettie's missionary time in a greater light; acknowliding Celie's sexuality (expect for some clues that are still apparent), her relationship with Shug and forgiveness with Mr.
Spielberg tries his best to make this film accessible for the sort that may never read the book or find it too hard-going and depressing which at times it can become. Generally, he takes the route of the relation and bonding of Celie and her sister, Nellie to emphasise their closeness which is at the heart (even though the characters of Shug Avery, Sofia and Harpo receive a lot of screen time and attention) to help relieve the viewer from the distressing pain that Celie suffers from the hands of Mr, if only necessary or appropriate. Quincy Jones (writing two songs alongside Lionel Ritchie) contributes a brillant score, which was probably the result of the release of the musical.
However, despite being a very fine and admirable adaption, the film strays away from the book which loses some of the charm, honesty and hope plus the brave absent of stereotype attitudes of men where Walker is keen to tell us there are always two sides to the story they face in their lifetime-a massive blow. Speilberg however does make this entralling and more entertaining than it should be and he certainly makes good use of the locations especially the warm red sun and bright striking purple fields.
Average, overblown Spielberg.......2006-09-22
The general problem with Spielberg's attempt to tackle high profile political issues such as African-American oppression, or more particularly, the oppression of African-American women, in films like 'The Color Purple' is that he is not willing to make the film a true account; at its basic level, he is not willing to tell the story just how it happened, or just view the characters as they are with all their depth intact. Instead, he does several things;
1. Whitewashes the three dimensional parts to make them accessible stereotypes to the audience. Goldberg gives a reasonable performance, as does Glover, but many of the others are marked only by a particular mannerism or outward nature. There is often little attempt to truly get to grips with these characters, particularly with regard to the caucasian ones who are merely 'the badguys'.
2. Instead of tackling the complexity of these issues through steady character building, atmosphere and dialogue, he uses elaborate, glossy and good-looking but often empty shots. Spectacular images of rape have no basis to their meaning because he fails to convey the reasons for the cruelty and deprivation except in two ways; caucasians and poverty. The audience is moved by these shots and the story as a whole because of Spielberg's skill with the camera, but there is no rationale behind much of the sadness. We never really understand who Danny Glover is, what motivates him and moreover what motivates the society of the South as a whole.
3. The film lacks a darkness and bleakness wholly appropriate to the time and period of the plot; it dosen't feel real or genuine because it has as much in common with a Disney picture as it does with a film like 'The Pianist'. The excess of soothing music and slapstick comedy scenes (contrasting horribly with the rape and murder) create a sort of sickly melange that fails in striking a dark, oppressive note (surely something which should be aimed for in such a subject). It's like some kind of puppet show where the puppets alternately make funny jokes and stab each other to death.
4. The first half hour is utterly dire. The appalling child acting coupled with a script that is clearly meant to be what people spoke like but really just sounds like a couple of modern child actors trying to sound like that is almost unbearable.
On the other hand, three stars is three stars; the film is moving, in general well shot and with some good performances, most notably by Goldberg herself, who gives a more convincing and thicker but less glitzy performance than the likes of Winfrey. The story is itself is good, although the plot has some gaping holes which Spielberg again whitewashes with sparkle and glitz, and the overall effect is, if not satisfying, entertaining, sad and even a little charming.
A must see!.......2006-07-19
If your idea of a good film is shootings, murders, explosions and vice, it may not be for you. If you have other interests then it IS! The film should have cleaned up at the oscars but the predominantly black cast may have been why it didnt. The film studies mens attitude to women at the time and white to black. Femenists will be seething and chauvanists may think again. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopie Goldberg are no less than sensational in their roles.
All creeds and colours over 14 should see this! 100 years has changed us all for the better.....or has it?
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson
Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg took a melodramatic DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.
In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective "understated" can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com
On the DVD: The Color Purple makes a sumptuous transfer to DVD in this special edition. The lush and vibrant cinematography is well served by the widescreen format; Quincy Jones's warmly enveloping score, shot through with jazz age references, is superbly enhanced by surround sound. The extras are ideal companions to the main picture, detailing the passage of Alice Walker's novel from book to screen. Walker herself recalls the anxieties of the process, while director Spielberg and various cast members remember many poignant moments during and after filming, reminding us with a jolt that this beautifully made, hugely popular and inspirational film didn't win a single Academy Award. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful but flawed.......2008-01-19
This is a exquisitely directed, perfectly paced piece of film-making. The performances are beautiful and the cinematography captures the shifting moods of the film admirably. Goldberg is fantastic in a role which flies in the face of Hollywood 'leading lady' conventions, projecting a quite dignity and mesmerising spirit.
However, for all its realism and courage, 'The Colour Purple' is marred by its depiction of men. They are uniformly abusive, weak-willed or idiotic. As a woman I felt distinctly uneasy about the confrontational attitude of the movie. A less bitter and less polemical approach to the question to gender would have elevated this gorgeous film to classic status.
This is a visually beautiful film, which is both thought-provoking and inspiring. Ultimately it suffers from its willingness to surrender complexity to ideology, particularly in the final scenes.
Out of his depth.......2007-03-26
Spielberg is famous because he did Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Those films were his moment of glory. Films like this one are too contrived and self-aware to be credible. The characters and the plot suffered because this was Spilebergs desperate attempt at making a David Lean film. Sorry, man, you failed.
The fields which are made of colour.......2007-03-13
Celie is a young girl who has a tough life in Georgia, pregnant at 14 with her father's child; the death of her mother and being sold off in a forced marriage with Mr. (who in the film is given the first name, Albert). She yearns for a better life and has nobody in the whole world-expect her sister, Nettie-who truly believes in her........
The Color Purple was actually a big hit at the box office when originally released in 1985 and at least set to win the top prize at the academy awards-the best picture had it not been for a controversial backlash. Sadly, this has been dug in the ground and forgotten about.
Although the book we know acts as a diary for Celie's frustation against the world, only some of her letters remain in the cut (even though a voice over is heard for the majority of the film where the other times, the action is visual) which includes the death of her mother; being sold off to Mr and her times with Shug Avery.
Spielberg treats the material very carefully, adding his unique magic (although sometimes it is notable that it becomes uncomfortable and a tad ridiculous) heartbreak of their lives desperate to live seperate identites. There is a lot of material that is cut from this adaption that includes Nettie's missionary time in a greater light; acknowliding Celie's sexuality (expect for some clues that are still apparent), her relationship with Shug and forgiveness with Mr.
Spielberg tries his best to make this film accessible for the sort that may never read the book or find it too hard-going and depressing which at times it can become. Generally, he takes the route of the relation and bonding of Celie and her sister, Nellie to emphasise their closeness which is at the heart (even though the characters of Shug Avery, Sofia and Harpo receive a lot of screen time and attention) to help relieve the viewer from the distressing pain that Celie suffers from the hands of Mr, if only necessary or appropriate. Quincy Jones (writing two songs alongside Lionel Ritchie) contributes a brillant score, which was probably the result of the release of the musical.
However, despite being a very fine and admirable adaption, the film strays away from the book which loses some of the charm, honesty and hope plus the brave absent of stereotype attitudes of men where Walker is keen to tell us there are always two sides to the story they face in their lifetime-a massive blow. Speilberg however does make this entralling and more entertaining than it should be and he certainly makes good use of the locations especially the warm red sun and bright striking purple fields.
Average, overblown Spielberg.......2006-09-22
The general problem with Spielberg's attempt to tackle high profile political issues such as African-American oppression, or more particularly, the oppression of African-American women, in films like 'The Color Purple' is that he is not willing to make the film a true account; at its basic level, he is not willing to tell the story just how it happened, or just view the characters as they are with all their depth intact. Instead, he does several things;
1. Whitewashes the three dimensional parts to make them accessible stereotypes to the audience. Goldberg gives a reasonable performance, as does Glover, but many of the others are marked only by a particular mannerism or outward nature. There is often little attempt to truly get to grips with these characters, particularly with regard to the caucasian ones who are merely 'the badguys'.
2. Instead of tackling the complexity of these issues through steady character building, atmosphere and dialogue, he uses elaborate, glossy and good-looking but often empty shots. Spectacular images of rape have no basis to their meaning because he fails to convey the reasons for the cruelty and deprivation except in two ways; caucasians and poverty. The audience is moved by these shots and the story as a whole because of Spielberg's skill with the camera, but there is no rationale behind much of the sadness. We never really understand who Danny Glover is, what motivates him and moreover what motivates the society of the South as a whole.
3. The film lacks a darkness and bleakness wholly appropriate to the time and period of the plot; it dosen't feel real or genuine because it has as much in common with a Disney picture as it does with a film like 'The Pianist'. The excess of soothing music and slapstick comedy scenes (contrasting horribly with the rape and murder) create a sort of sickly melange that fails in striking a dark, oppressive note (surely something which should be aimed for in such a subject). It's like some kind of puppet show where the puppets alternately make funny jokes and stab each other to death.
4. The first half hour is utterly dire. The appalling child acting coupled with a script that is clearly meant to be what people spoke like but really just sounds like a couple of modern child actors trying to sound like that is almost unbearable.
On the other hand, three stars is three stars; the film is moving, in general well shot and with some good performances, most notably by Goldberg herself, who gives a more convincing and thicker but less glitzy performance than the likes of Winfrey. The story is itself is good, although the plot has some gaping holes which Spielberg again whitewashes with sparkle and glitz, and the overall effect is, if not satisfying, entertaining, sad and even a little charming.
A must see!.......2006-07-19
If your idea of a good film is shootings, murders, explosions and vice, it may not be for you. If you have other interests then it IS! The film should have cleaned up at the oscars but the predominantly black cast may have been why it didnt. The film studies mens attitude to women at the time and white to black. Femenists will be seething and chauvanists may think again. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopie Goldberg are no less than sensational in their roles.
All creeds and colours over 14 should see this! 100 years has changed us all for the better.....or has it?
UK DVD:
- The Complete Coen Collection: 1984 - 2004 [1998]
- The Conformist [1970] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Cook Thief, His Wife And Her Lover [1989]
- The Deer Hunter [1978]
- The Dreamers
- The Dresden Files: Complete Season 1 [2007]
- The Elephant Man [1980]
- The Horse Whisperer [1998]
- The L-Word - Season 3 [2006]
- The Magdalene Sisters [2003]
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The Color Purple
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