took a long and winding road to the big screen: “Schindler’s Ark.” Spielberg postponed making a film version of Thomas Keneally’s Booker Prize-winning work until he was mature enough to do it justice. His version of “The Color Purple” proves that putting off “Schindler List” was the right choice.
Spielberg has often been criticized for sentimentality, and those tendencies are at odds with the darker elements of Walker’s celebrated novel. The film still touches upon incest, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and racism, but Spielberg often uncomfortably offsets them with broad comedy. His timid handling of the material combines with Quincy Jones’s cloying score and Allan Daviau’s picturesque cinematography to bury the tragedies of Celie’s life beneath layers of schmaltz.
Having said that, “The Color Purple” still works almost in spite of Spielberg’s involvement. This is down to the staying power of Walker’s tale and some outstanding performances, especially from Goldberg as Celie. It was a gamble casting a comic performer with almost zero film experience in the role, but Goldberg gives a captivating portrayal of a downtrodden woman who has managed to retain her sense of dignity and quiet amusement over many years of servitude and humiliation. Almost as good is Winfrey in her film debut, dominating every moment of her limited screen time as Sofia; meanwhile, Avery radiates self-confidence and compassion as Shug. All three women deservedly received Oscar nominations, and they carry the story high on their shoulders to the cathartic ending (which would have been arguably even more joyous if Spielberg hadn’t soft-peddled the hardship and heartache the characters go through to get there).
Overall, “The Color Purple” is a handsomely made but very flawed prestige picture that is hampered by its creatives’ twee approach. But despite the criticism Spielberg received, the film was a box office hit, and it helped cement the legacy of Walker’s work. For all the censorship challenges, Walker’s novel remains one of America’s best-loved books, and it also inspired a 2005 musical and a well-meaning 2023 film based on the stage production. As Bohumil Hrabal also wrote, “If a book has anything to say, it burns with a quiet laugh, because any book worth its salt points up and out of itself.”