After a well-regarded debut within the US in December, The Colour Purple is on its approach to UK cinemas. But it surely’s not the primary main movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, as followers of Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film will know.
Each observe the lifetime of Celie, and her journey to self-love and overcoming trauma. Nonetheless, Blitz Bazawule’s model has some key variations that audiences of the primary movie will discover. Learn on to search out out extra.
The Colour Purple drops in UK cinemas on Friday 26 January 2024. You possibly can pre-order tickets from Cineworld, Odeon, Vue and Picturehouse. US viewers can nonetheless catch it in cinemas, with tickets out there from AMC and Fandango.
Spoilers for The Colour Purple (1985) and The Colour Purple (2023) beneath.
The Colour Purple (2023) is a musical
For those who’ve missed the trailers, try to be conscious that the brand new movie is technically an adaptation of the Broadway musical, which made its debut in 2005 and was revived once more in 2015. There are additionally some authentic songs sprinkled in there, too.
Fantasia Barrino, who first achieved fame on American Idol, takes on the position of Celie. Alongside her heartbreaking and nuanced efficiency, she will get some showstopping musical numbers which in some ways change the intensive narration from the primary film.
Fantasia is joined by fellow heavy hitters Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks as Shug Avery and Sofia respectively. There’s additionally some extremely detailed choreography, with a sprawling forged of swing dancers. You may get a style of what’s to return within the official trailer:
Celie and Shug’s romantic relationship just isn’t ambiguous
The 1985 movie is commonly criticised for downplaying the queer love affair between Celie and Shug. Fortunately, the 2023 musical doesn’t dance across the topic. The pair kiss, get up collectively in the identical mattress after a seemingly intimate evening and have a number of duets that plainly lay out their shared attraction.
The musical doesn’t deviate utterly from the novel by making the pair find yourself collectively – they continue to be as pals and Shug marries Grady. Nonetheless, it’s definitely an indication that issues have progressed, and as The LA Instances reviews, this interpretation is extra reflective of Walker’s supply materials.
Mister and Celie have a deeper reconciliation
Mister may be very a lot the villain of each variations of The Colour Purple. He separates Celie from her sister Nettie after the latter fights again when he tries to sexually assault her, and he abuses Celie all through their time collectively.
When Celie lastly stands as much as him and leaves, his life begins to collapse. Finally, he makes up for his previous by paying for the charges to get Nettie again to the US. Nonetheless, Spielberg’s movie reveals him doing this quietly, with out Celie’s data.
Within the newest movie, after he makes the preparations, he visits Celie’s tailoring store to present her some images and keepsakes of her sister and the kids that have been taken away from her. He additionally purchases a pair of undesirable pants to assist the enterprise out, after which wears stated terrible trousers to the Easter dinner. There, he tells Celie that he’s invited a couple of extra visitors, as Nettie and her household arrive to reunite together with her.
Whereas this isn’t as gritty as the unique, it does communicate extra to the complexity of forgiveness and really discovering peace.
Nettie’s journey has much less time within the highlight
In Spielberg’s movie, Nettie’s life as an grownup is explored in additional depth – there are total scenes devoted to her work as a missionary in Africa.
Nonetheless, within the 2023 model we solely see transient snippets of what Celie reads within the letters that Mister hid from her, once they’re rediscovered by Shug. The main focus is far more on the principle character’s journey, and what she imagines her sister’s life will likely be like. In a method, this makes the ultimate reunion scene extra impactful.
The musical additionally leaves out a scene the place Nettie teaches Celie to learn. This occasion may be very briefly hinted at close to the start however is nowhere close to as in-depth.
There are two new characters of notice
One enormous change that Bazawule makes is introducing Celie’s mom. She seems in a flashback, educating the woman to stitch – a talent that later influences her profession. She additionally briefly reveals up in a mirror, when Celie is on the lookout for steerage after her father passes away.
Whereas the second character doesn’t have as a lot of a plot impression, it’s a enjoyable Easter egg for followers of the unique. Whoopi Goldberg, the actress who performed Celie within the authentic film, returns to The Colour Purple. Nonetheless, this time she performs the midwife who assists Celie as she offers beginning to Adam.
