If asked to name five
Steven Spielberg films the majority of moviegoers would rarely think of
The Color Purple. Like a long forgotten, and even long-lost, piece of movie magic, Spielbergs adaptation of the acclaimed Alice Walker novel deserves some belated mass-recognition, at last, in high-definition. Warner Home Video have released the film on
Blu-ray today. Here is our review... The story follows a young afro-American woman who overcomes the prejudices of the early 20th Century played with extraordinary depth by a young
Whoopi Goldberg. Giving the character incredibly tangible extremes of emotion from a repressed, terrified victim of abuse to the beautifully naïve joy of a woman inspired by a role model, Goldberg makes The Color Purple nothing short of a character masterpiece.
With the benefit of hindsight The Color Purple can now be seen as the first film to signal Spielbergs maturation as a moviemaker - a brave and ambitious project in very different ways to the big-budget family blockbusters like E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws and Indiana Jones. The Color Purple journeys into the under-portrayed problems that faced afro-Americans in the early 20th Century and is powerfully distressing, a weepy in many ways, and yet retains the hope buried deep in Goldbergs inimitable sparkle to give the film an uplifting sense of strength and determination. Despite some misplaced attacks on the films white director for depicting a story centred on afro-Americans, and stereotyping then in the process, Spielberg did a wonderful job of maintaining the balance between heart-wrenching drama and heart-warming hope.
Whilst Whoopi Goldberg is at the centre of the story, and gives what is surely her greatest dramatic performance to date, strong, admirable women comprise the supporting cast.
Margaret Avery and
Oprah Winfrey play her role models, bringing extra dynamics to the intertwined struggles against racism and sexism. Despite a distinctively menacing performance from
Danny Glover as the abusive husband, Goldberg owns the film without question. There are dozens of Oscar records to hold but the one you dont want is most nominations without a win. The Color Purple matched the 1977 film The Turning Point for garnering 11 nominations to no avail but perhaps this should be the reason everyone see it.
Quality
The films cinematography, for which Spielbergs regular collaborator
Allen Daviau takes credit, is stunning in high definition. Whilst the transfer is still a little grainy in places the clarity and colours is excellent bringing the film to life on screen. The sound, especially
Quincy Jones wonderful score and original soundtrack, are particularly impressive despite an under-used DTS-HD 5.1 treatment. The atmospheric lighting and fantastic sunset-glazed landscapes are fantastic to behold on blu ray too. The Color Purple is released on
Blu-ray today.