"The Color Purple" Gets A High-Gloss Finish
How sex, violence, religion and queerness manifest in the novel versus its adaptations. Plus, eating at The Office of Mr. Moto, and should you watch "Society of the Snow"?
Last week, I finished reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker. You can read my short review on IG, but I was swept away by the novel’s ability to handle its themes of race, sexuality and religion with such a nonjudgmental complexity. None of the characters were pure victim, pure monster, or pure hero because they were, instead, pure human.
The newest 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple scrubs away the novel’s nuance.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film. Its high-energy, glossy musical numbers were elevated by standout performances from Fantasia (who plays Celie), Taraji P. Henson (who plays Shug), and Danielle Brooks (who plays Sofia and was my personal favorite). These three talented women make the film a success, even though it skirts most of the deeper and more controversial themes of the novel…
Violence, both physical and emotional, is pervasive in Walker’s novel, and it’s very, very personal. But in the 2023 film, we witness the violence through a wide lens. We become a fly on the wall. The violence feels staged and melodramatic, and we are a seated audience (befitting perhaps, as this version was technically adapted from the stage musical). The film is less harrowing and more approachable, which isn’t bad when you’re shooting for universal appeal, but it incites meeker emotion.
Less forgivable is the film’s treatment of Celie’s sexuality. Walker's novel confronts Celie’s sexual awakening with unapologetic candor. We dive into Celie's psyche, unraveling the layers of her desires as she comes to understand love, pleasure, and tenderness. In the film, Celie’s sexual relationship with Shug exists in song and dance. While this likely works on stage (I have not seen the staged production), the musical film depicts lesbian sex as a jazzy waltz that ends with a peck on the lips and them waking up in bed. I’m not asking for Blue Is the Warmest Color here, but c’mon now!
It’s difficult to review this new musical adaptation without adding the 1985 Spielburg film into the mix—it’s the better movie. The cinematography is masterful: bold vibrant hues and gritty desaturated color perfectly characterize the push and pull of joy and empowerment with the hardship and struggle that define the story. In the 2023 version, everything gleams. Even its dark moments look like shiny puddles.
Spielburg’s The Color Purple also has iconic performances (I mean, OPRAH in a breakout role) that feel more grounded and personal. The romance between Celie and Shug (still far from great) is less stated but much more sensual. In general we as an audience are drawn much closer: tighter shots, lingering moments, raw emotion.
Naturally, it feels rather icky to write the Spielburg version is better. It was written and directed by white men. It’s definitely not perfect. (I found a really interesting discussion of the film’s initial reception on NPR). But my argument is that it’s the better MOVIE, not necessarily the better adaptation.
While the Spielburg release is perhaps a better literary adaptation, the 2023 film musical is clearly a stronger cultural adaptation with music, costuming, and an overall soulfulness that prevails over its predecessor. They are doing different things.
Lastly, both film versions really skim over Nettie’s time in Africa, which was one of my favorite sections of the novel. Nettie has such an emotionally complex relationship with her identity as a black woman from the American South who sees so much of herself in the African people she meets yet struggles to be accepted and cannot agree to many of their customs and beliefs, especially their treatment of women.
All of this to say, both films are good, but as per usual, the book is better.
This Week In Calvin Culture…
FILM:
Should you watch Society of the Snow? Yes! A retelling of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 disaster is admittedly hard to watch, but the film delivers a moving, beautifully-shot and detailed story that demonstrates our will to survive as a species. TWs definitely apply: One of the most harrowing airplane crash sequences I’ve seen. Also, it’s too long. The runtime feels intentional, really making you aware of the brutal length of time these people had to endure in the bitter cold, but yeah, could’ve been shorter. Netflix is def vying for an All Quiet-style last minute Oscar nom repeat.
I also watched…
Trevor Noah: Where Was I — funny enough, background watch
Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli — too straight for me
Mean Girls — rewatch, the original of course, scared to watch the musical
The Color Purple (2023) — definitely watch, great music, see above for qualms
The Color Purple (1985) — another definite watch, enjoyed more than the musical
TV:
This week Kevin and I finished both The Boys and its spinoff show Gen V. While not the best writing/dialogue, the plot is SUPER addicting. It’s campy, with highly-stylized violence + emotional and political stakes that set it far apart from anything else I’ve seen in the superhero genre. It’s the anti-Marvel show. Would recommend.
We’re also all caught up on Celebrity Jeopardy. We’re real cool.
Up next: the new season of The Crown and Fellow Travelers
BOOKS:
Currently reading The Prophet Song & Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
FOOD:
We celebrated Kevin’s birthday by dining at The Office of Mr. Moto. After going through a speakeasy style entrance, you’re invited into a modern bilevel space decked out in a private collection of art and artifacts. The menu was 21 courses and was, to date, the #1 sushi experience we’ve had outside of Japan! We sat at the counter and got the sake pairing, so we were delightfully tipsy while we got to gorge and watch the chef prep everything in front of us. Some pics of what we ate:
Live Scallop was then followed by a fleet of Nigiri including: Sea Bream, Amberjack, Spot Shrimp, White Salmon, Black Throat Sea Perch, Jackfish, Silver Cod, Uni and Lean, Medium Fatty & Fatty Tuna carved fresh:
