This movie is toooooo loooooooong. Seriously! Stop it, film makers! Long does not equal good!
I haven’t read the novel on which this film is based and nor have I seen the 1985 version of the film starring Oprah Winfrey, who’s an executive producer on this remake. All of which is to say, these are fresh eyes and I am offering my view of this film and this film alone.
It’s a musical, y’all! Did you know that?! As a musical lover I’ve gotta tell you, they’ve nailed the song and dance numbers in this! Do they feel a bit at odds with an at times fairly serious films, navigating topics like slavery and family violence? Why yes, yes they do. It’s like there’s two things happening in this movie that are both good but don’t belong together. A serious take on the experience of black people in American in the 1900s? Sure, sounds interesting. A musical filled with absolute bangers accompanied by dancing that’ll leave you toe-tapping and soaring ballads that’ll move you? Sure, sounds great! But jam them together in one film and something doesn’t quite gel.
I didn’t hate this (other than the length) but I also didn’t love it. The Guardian gave it three stars and I agree with that I think. It’s mid-range territory. Give the review a read if you’d like to know more about the film.
The Color Purple is rated M, runs for 141 minutes (YUCK) and opens on Thursday 25 January 2024. Trailer here.