The Color Purple (2023) is directed by Blitz Bazawule and stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Ciara, and David Alan Grier. The film is a musical remake of Steven Speilberg’s The Color Purple (1985) and follows the life of Nettie (Barrino & Mpasi), an African American woman who as a teenager is forced to marry a cruel and violent man named Mister (Domingo). When Mister forbids her from seeing her sister, Nettie is forced to continue her life without the only person who truly loves her. As the years pass, Nettie faces hardships that continually test her faith. When Mister’s mistress, Shug Avery, arrives to stay with the couple, Nettie unexpectedly finds a new friend who inspires her to stand up for herself and hold those who’ve wronged her accountable.

The performances by the three leading ladies are top-notch. They all do the unexpected by living up to the performances in the original. Fantasia Barrino as the adult version of Nettie gives a powerhouse performance. Everything from her singing voice to the way she delivers dialogue is fiercely emotional. She just has these kinds of eyes that allow you to see tears forming before she even cries. It’s the type of performance that makes the difference between whether or not we’ll attach ourselves emotionally. In one of her final musical scenes, she delivers one of the most powerful vocal performances I’ve heard in a long time.

Taraji P. Henson brings a lot of energy to her role, and I think she might just be an improvement over Margaret Avery in the original. Her commanding voice drew me in even against my will. However, the script lets Henson down by refusing to build on the original portrayal of the character. If anything, the film streamlines aspects of her character. It’s efficient, but unfortunately results in the character feeling like a highlight reel. 

Just like Oprah Winfrey in the original film, Danielle Brooks is the clear standout as Sophia. The role really is an actress’s treat, allowing for a performance that acts as the film’s energy/soul. This would be enough to praise the performance on its own, but Brooks likewise nails her more dramatic and/or emotional scenes. The only disappointing thing is that similar to Henson, Brooks is let down by a script that takes away nuance instead of adding it.

This feels a lot more tightly edited than the original film, covering the same story with a significantly shorter runtime. The thing is, it feels as if it’s a similar length. So how are these two contradicting feelings possible? Well, I think it has to do with the film’s diversions into musical setpieces. Granted, I did feel that the quality of the bluesy music justifies their inclusion. It just feels a bit strange to sacrifice elements that made the original work so well in order to cynically turn it into a musical. I feel that remakes of classic films such as The Color Purple (1985) should have a clear thematic purpose/objective. Remakes should try to reframe or update the original in ways that aren’t as shallow as simply adding musical sequences. Although enjoyable, the music only serves to sacrifice the original’s epic and contemplative pace. I predict that the only audience that will find this to be a fair trade are diehard fans of musicals. With this all being said, when it comes to the film’s actual score, I felt it was an improvement on the original. Spielberg made some inexplicably awkward choices with the score of his film, so I was glad to see that aspect done away with. 

Aside from the musical sequences, the film essentially plays out as a greatest hits of the original film’s best scenes. It is admittedly a streamlined and effective way to revisit the original but unfortunately doesn’t add anything new. I kind of see this as the fast-food version of a much deeper film. I can always enjoy myself some fast food, but it’s rarely as good as the sit-down place. I just can’t get past the fact that the plot is almost identical to its predecessor. Granted, there are small plot details of the original that this film improves/clarifies. The thing is, there are an equal amount of plot details that are clarified when they should have been left artistically ambiguous, signaling that the filmmakers don’t trust the audience’s intelligence.

Overall, this is a mostly worthy remake a beloved classic that suffers from sticking too closely to the plot of the original. Any changes are a result of subtraction. Elements are eliminated to streamline the film, but this only results in losing some of the story’s inherent emotional impact. The songs are fun but feel like nothing more than a trendy yet shallow addition. Where the film does succeed is effectively telling the story of women coming together in the face of unimaginable hardship. Although not as impactful as the original, its pathos are still stronger than 75 percent of films that attempt this sort of story. Although I wasn’t excited about another musical remake of a film that was never a musical to begin with similar to Mean Girls (2024), The Color Purple (2023) surprised me. If a film can win over a person who had no interest going into it, then it at the very least deserves a B–