The Color Purple Film Analysis Essay

Chelsie Reynolds

TA Film 308

Tracy Sherear

December 04, 2017

The Color Purple ‘The Color Purple’ is a film based on a novel by writer Alice Walker, about the life and struggles of a young African American girl name Celie. The Color Purple was directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985. There are three known African American actors, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, and Danny Glover. Oprah Winfrey plays Sofia, Whoopi Goldberg plays Celie and Danny Glover plays ‘Mr. Albert’ who is Celie’s husband. Another main character who is mentioned throughout the film and who is not well known is Nettie, she is Celie’s sister. Nettie is played by Akosua Busia. The Color Purple portrays the life of a young African American girl in the early 1900’s, ranging from

He travels to bring her home, Celie is instructed to take care of her she is happy to do so, she becomes very fond of Shug. Albert’s eldest son Harpo falls in love with a girl named Sofia. She becomes pregnant, and they get married. Harpo tries to control her the way his father does with Celie, she is stronger and fights back. Eventually Sofia gets tired of Harpo’s ways and leaves him to go live with her sister. Shug plans to leave and Celie tells her all the abuse she has endured, and that her sister Nettie was supposed to write her, they tear Mr. Alberts and Celie’s room upside down until they find the letters. When they find the letters, Celie is overcome with joy, she learns that her sister Nettie made her way to Africa with the reverend and Celie’s Children. In this moment Shug and Celie kiss and it is portrayed that they had a relationship. Shug eventually leaves Celie. Sofia meets the Major and his wife Miss Millie in an outing in town. Miss Millie who is quite amused with Sofia’s children and impressed by their cleanliness, she asks Sofia to work as her maid. When Sophia rudely refuses, the Mayor slaps

Critics considered it the best picture that year. In December of 2005 the film was made into a musical that was featured at The Broadway Theater in New York City. Many have criticized this film to be a rough depiction of African American men in an earlier time, shining them in a bad light, and that it “distorts” their history. “This film is not trying to represent the history of African American people in this country any more than 'The Godfather' was trying to represent the history of Italian-Americans. In this case, it's one woman's story.” (Oprah Winfrey) This is a good statement made, and is true to the fact that this film doesn’t represent African American history, that it only portrays a certain era and the life of one woman. “Many African American women defend the film, saying that it accurately reflects their own experience or the experience of women they know. Many African American men, and some African American women, contend that it gives a misleading picture of African Americans in America and distorts their history” (The New York Times). Many African American women can relate to this film, in the sense they have also fallen at the hands of abuse. Any woman who have been victims of abuse can relate to this film. Some feel that it shows men in a negative tone, even though that probably wasn’t the intention. This film, was the story of Celie’s and no one