The Color Purple
Trigger warning: this article mentions both physical and sexual abuse, which are heavy themes in the film
How do I even begin to talk about this film? It is a profound story, full of so much hardship and turmoil, showing the lives of many black women during this period (post-civil war, pre-civil rights). And just to warn you, this is not one of those films you watch and think ‘how great was such and such man in this film!’ All the prominent men in this film absolutely suck. The story follows the life of Celie, a young woman who has been raped by her step-father and given birth to two children who were taken away from her. Soon after, her step-father sells her into marriage with a man quite a bit older than her who treats her like a slave, of the domestic and sexual variety. She is only 14 or 15 when she is forced into this marriage, and she is hit and yelled at and punished for stepping out of line at any point.
When her younger sister comes to live with them, to get away from their step-father, Celie is happy for a hot minute. But when Nettie refuses the advances of Celie’s husband Albert, he forces her out of the house and promises he’ll never let the sisters see each other again. After this is when we see our first big time jump and Celie is all of a sudden all grown up, having endured Albert’s horrible treatment for years at this point.
From this point, we get to observe the wonderful and tumultuous lives of several women in and around Celie, as well as her own. Of course we continue to see her hardships with Albert, whom she is too afraid to call anything but Mister, but we also come to know Shug Avery, Albert’s actual true love (on his side at least) and a jazz singer, and Sofia, who you might recognise as Oprah. Sofia, in almost every way, is the opposite of Celie. Where Celie is quiet and subdued and takes whatever treatment she’s given, Sofia won’t put up with being treated badly or told what to do. When her husband tries to beat her to bring her ‘back in line’, she beats him right back.
Shug Avery is a wonderfully rich character also. Not only do she and Celie become thick as thieves (and sort of romantically involved as well), but we also get to see the diverse experiences of her life. She has children, none of whom have the same father or live with her, and she is estranged from both her parents. She has never been married and feels the calling of being a singer and living a glamorous lifestyle. However, despite her laissez-faire attitude to life, she has troubles too. Her father has all but disowned her, given that he is a preacher and her lifestyle is repulsive to him. She feels a lot of loneliness and struggles to find a man to support her and love her in the way she wants, and not try to restrict her in the process.
The thing about the women in this movie is that they all go through ups and downs in their lives, but when they decide to take charge and make decisions for themselves, they manifest good things and get what they want in their lives. Celie escapes her crushing relationship with Albert and is able to reunite with her sister and the two children she had by her step-father. Shug finds a man to love her and marry her and be the kind of support she needs. Sofia is inspired by Celie and is able to take charge of her own life once again, despite it having been severely affected by a long stay in jail (for unjust reasons) and indentured servitude to a white couple who think they’re being ‘gracious’ but still treat her as less than.
We learn that Nettie has also been living a wonderful life, having moved to Africa with the couple who adopted Celie’s children, and they have become a close-knit family who have rich cultural experiences and are able to find their way back to Celie. This story has a joyously happy ending, with the reunion of the two sisters and Celie’s reunion with her (now grown) children, but it is not fate or chance, it is by the hard work of these women in lifting themselves and each other up that they are able to find happiness.
Another amazing aspect of this movie is the use of the African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Early on in the film, we see the young sisters learning to read and learning about the conventional rules of what is called Standard American English (SAE). They are being educated in what is often referred to as the ‘right’ way to speak English. What it actually is, is the ‘white’ way. So early on, it’s established that these young girls know the rules or have at least learned and understood some of the rules of SAE. However, at no point do they endeavour not to speak in AAVE, especially when together with each other. And this is not only relevant to Celie and Nettie, but all of the African American characters we see in this film. When speaking with each other, they communicate solely through AAVE, and this is such an important and unique aspect of this film. Not because it identifies them by their race or ethnicity, but because AAVE is a variety of English that is so often looked down upon and maligned.
The reality is that we all speak different varieties of English, and just like SAE, AAVE has its own rules and templates and is used in very specific ways. It’s not ‘ghetto’ or ‘uneducated’, it’s just different, and this movie does such an amazing job of demonstrating that and using AAVE in such unique and interesting ways.
This doesn’t exactly have anything specific to do with feminism and women in film, but this is a film about black women, and I think one of the things that is so important to acknowledge when dealing with texts like this is that black women share a unique cultural identity that is important and should be represented in a positive light. This film does that, while simultaneously exploring the racial and gender inequalities of this society, and also establishing the great strength and perseverance of women breaking away from these societal structures to find their own happiness.
The Color Purple is available to stream in Australia on Netflix, HBO Max and DirecTV in the US, and Now TV in the UK. It’s available to rent or buy everywhere on YouTube, Google Play and Amazon Prime.
