Because of my schedule, I was unfortunately unable to attend any of the Black History Month Events on campus. Instead, I chose to delve into the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule. I watched this film while we were reading and discussing Sula by Toni Morrison in class, and could not help but notice the parallels between the two stories highlighting female relationships and networks within the black community. This film tells a beautiful story of how women and feminine relationships are built in the context of a dark reality and are able to provide a unique refuge and joy.
The Color Purple was originally a novel written by Alice Walker and published in 1982. The book won awards and was very well reviewed, and was adapted into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg in 1985. In 2001, the story was adapted into a Broadway musical. The 2023 movie version that I watched is an adaptation of the musical. The use of music and dance in this film I think makes the hardships discussed more accessible to a wider audience, like younger viewers. Additionally, the musical aspect can highlight black joy through the vibrant musical and dance numbers that the characters perform throughout. This adds to a key theme of the movie – the ability the black community has had to find joy despite hardship and oppression throughout history.
The plot of the movie focuses on the story of two sisters (Celie and Nettie), who were able to find refuge and joy within each other despite the darkness of their childhood. These sisters are so close, and depend on one another. Their relationship immediately reminded me of Sula and Nel’s in Sula by Toni Morrison, in that they also had this form of relationship where they were able to escape from their woes within each other. This quote from Sula about Sula and Nel’s relationship also perfectly depicts Celie and Nettie’s: “In the safe harbor of each other’s company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and focus on the perception of things… Joined in mutual admiration, they watched each day as though it were a movie arranged for their amusement” (55). Celie is married off to a terrible man as a teenager, and the two sisters are separated, for what becomes most of their life. The absence of Nettie in Celie’s life is heartbreaking, and it shows how deeply these two depend on each other for survival. Survival became a key aspect for me in understanding the relationships in this movie. Nettie and Celie depend on each other to survive their childhood, and then through her sister’s absence, Celie is forced to find other means of survival. This manifests through a new sisterhood she creates with two new characters, Shug and Sophie. Again, these characters provide an escape for Nettie from the cruelty of her husband and reality of her life. Shug and Sophie empower her to the point where Celie stands up to her husband, a crucial moment in the film. Aside from her feminine relationships, Celie’s life has been seemingly miserable. At one point in the film she says, “I may be black. I may be poor. I may even be ugly. But I’m here!” This again points to the theme of focus on survival.
The ability to survive through creating a strong female network is key to understanding the experience of Black Americans, especially in the 20th century, when both Sula and The Color Purple are set. In Sula, Nel and Sula’s relationship is described as incredibly unified: “They never quarreled, the way some girlfriends did over boys, or competed against one another for them. In those days a compliment to one was a compliment to the other, and cruelty to one was a challenge to the other” (83). The girls use their friendship to strengthen and defend one another. This unity and defense mechanism is also prevalent in The Color Purple, in that Celie can find strength and bravery in her relationships with Shug and Sophie.
The Color Purple is a beautiful story and addresses many dark aspects of black history and experience, and there is so much to be said about it. Watching the movie while simultaneously reading Sula allowed me to focus in on the aspect of feminine relationships and community, and building support, especially for black women. This is crucial to surviving oppression, and both stories do an excellent job of displaying that.
Sources:
Bazawule, Blitz. The Color Purple. Warner Bros., 1985.
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Vintage Books, 1994.
