The Color Purple

This is one of those movies that I am surprised I had never seen. I guess 25 years after its release is better than never. What begins as a story of two sisters growing up in the south in the early 20th century turns primarily to the story of the oldest sister, Celie. She is married off to a man with no redeeming qualities and spends decades in an oppressive life. She finds joy when the mans mistress comes to stay with them (it makes him nicer) and finds hope in looking toward a reunion with her sister. There are no surprises anymore in this film and it has been analyzed by thousands over the years. As I was watching it, I simply found myself cringing and uncomfortable with the purely abusive relationships that unfold. Some of these characters are so one dimensional (they are only bad and we never see a hint of good) that it reminds me of reality TV when the editors cut together clips to develop a persona for the screen that is clearly not the whole picture of who the person is. I like the fact that Celie struggles with using violence as an escape, but ultimately chooses not to. This is not an easy choice, and is not a major part of the film, but a major part of who she is as a person. Well worth seeing, for the first time or again.
4 stars (out of 5)