Before I get to far into this review I need to give a few details from the novel, which was titled the same as the film. The novel tells a story from a number of diary entrées about a young girl named Celie, who is constantly abused and neglected, who lived in the 1920's and 1930's. Written by Alice Walker in 1982, it has become her most recognized work.
The film follows the growing up of a woman that lived in the Southern United States, the girl's name is Celie (Whoopi Goldberg). Celie, 14 at the time that the film starts, has already had two children by her father, yes you read it right, and has already been subjected to the cruelty of her father. Celie's father forces Celie to marry a man that she calls "Mister", his real name is Albert (Danny Glover). Albert, who had his eyes on Celie's younger more, attractive sister named Nettie (Akosua Busia), treats Celie like a slave (making her clean the disorderly house, take care of the unruly children and so forth). He beats her often, making Celie go mute (for fear of being beaten for talking) and causing her to go into complete submission.
Now Celie's sister comes to live with them and wouldn't you know it, Albery tries to rape her. She kicks him away too many times and he kicks her out. A few years later, Celie is a grown woman and has spent a good number of days crying in fear of her abusive husband. Albert is now spending time with his mistress, a jazz singer named Shug "Sugar" Avery (Margaret Avery). At first Celie and Shug don't get along, then they start having a friendly relationship that begins to drive Albert crazy.
Shug hasn't been living the life of leisure, in her mind that is. Her father, the reverend, has completely removed her from his life because he regards her as a slut. In another part of town, one of Albert's sons is having trouble with his wife Sophie (Oprah Winfrey). Sophie has also lived a hard life were the men try to make her feel inferior. She is strong-spirited and doesn't like to be hit. Harpo (Willard Pugh), the son of Albert, gets advice from Albert and hits Sophie. She leaves him, but her freedom is short lived, she hits the mayor and spends some time in jail. After eight years, she is commissioned to be the Mayor's wife's maid for twelve long years.
To make a long review look shorter, Shug helps Celie find the long lost letters from her sister, she had thought her sister dead, and she succeeds in convincing Celie to leave Albert. After a few years Celie is reunited with her sister and her two children that had been raised in Africa.
Beautifully portrayed and enhanced, the film shows what happened during the 1920's and 1930's. It gives an example to how women, mostly black women, lived during the time that women's right's weren't yet realized. I gave this a perfect ten our of ten, one of my family's personal favorites.
The film follows the growing up of a woman that lived in the Southern United States, the girl's name is Celie (Whoopi Goldberg). Celie, 14 at the time that the film starts, has already had two children by her father, yes you read it right, and has already been subjected to the cruelty of her father. Celie's father forces Celie to marry a man that she calls "Mister", his real name is Albert (Danny Glover). Albert, who had his eyes on Celie's younger more, attractive sister named Nettie (Akosua Busia), treats Celie like a slave (making her clean the disorderly house, take care of the unruly children and so forth). He beats her often, making Celie go mute (for fear of being beaten for talking) and causing her to go into complete submission.
Now Celie's sister comes to live with them and wouldn't you know it, Albery tries to rape her. She kicks him away too many times and he kicks her out. A few years later, Celie is a grown woman and has spent a good number of days crying in fear of her abusive husband. Albert is now spending time with his mistress, a jazz singer named Shug "Sugar" Avery (Margaret Avery). At first Celie and Shug don't get along, then they start having a friendly relationship that begins to drive Albert crazy.
Shug hasn't been living the life of leisure, in her mind that is. Her father, the reverend, has completely removed her from his life because he regards her as a slut. In another part of town, one of Albert's sons is having trouble with his wife Sophie (Oprah Winfrey). Sophie has also lived a hard life were the men try to make her feel inferior. She is strong-spirited and doesn't like to be hit. Harpo (Willard Pugh), the son of Albert, gets advice from Albert and hits Sophie. She leaves him, but her freedom is short lived, she hits the mayor and spends some time in jail. After eight years, she is commissioned to be the Mayor's wife's maid for twelve long years.
To make a long review look shorter, Shug helps Celie find the long lost letters from her sister, she had thought her sister dead, and she succeeds in convincing Celie to leave Albert. After a few years Celie is reunited with her sister and her two children that had been raised in Africa.
Beautifully portrayed and enhanced, the film shows what happened during the 1920's and 1930's. It gives an example to how women, mostly black women, lived during the time that women's right's weren't yet realized. I gave this a perfect ten our of ten, one of my family's personal favorites.