The Colour Purple Review
A musical update on the classic tale hits all the right notes.
This update of the 1980’s classic and novel adaptation follows Celie (Fantasia Barrino) as she faces decades of hardship - first at the hands of her stepfather, than her husband, and the community at large. Amidst the endless trauma, Celie finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
The Colour Purple is a sumptuous and gorgeous musical adaptation of the previous film, and does credence and justice to its existence through its incredible performances, fantastic song and dance numbers, and willingness to mix all of that with the pain and hurt of this tale.
Fantasia Barrino is nothing short of spectacular as Celie. Her progression from demure housewife to fully realized individual who, through hard won circumstances, has the strength to stand on her own two feet and stand up against her oppressors, is amazing. Coupled with this is her wonderful singing, which particularly comes to a head in a ballad inside and out the front of her pants store towards the end of the film, and which will undoubtedly bring a tear to your eye.
The supporting cast is uniformly fantastic. Taraji P. Henson blends the stylish, the comedic, and the emotional in a whirlwind performance, Danielle Brooks is an audience favourite as Sofia, and even the villains carry their weight, with Colman Domingo cementing his status as one to watch for true A-List star power in the next year or so.
The Colour Purple is, of course, a classic book and a classic film, so the idea of a musical adaptation being any good was, frankly, extremely unlikely. It’s a pleasure, therefore, to confirm that it is very good, and is most definitely worth your time. Check it out.
