It's a musical drama set in rural Georgia and Memphis, Tennessee, from 1909 to the late 1940s. Teenager Celie Harris (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi/Fantasia Barrino) and her younger sister, Nettie (Halle Bailey/Clara), are the daughters of Alfonso Harris (Deon Cole). Celie is quiet and uneducated but a hard worker and skilled seamstress. Nettie is outgoing, goes to school, and hopes to become a teacher. Alfonso, a widower, is physically and sexually abusive, and Celie has two children by him that he has taken away and "given to God." A widowed friend, Albert "Mister" Johnson, with three young children, wants to marry Nettie, but Alphonso demands that he take Celie.
"Mister" is just as abusive as Alfonso, allowing Celie no access to the outside world. His oldest child, Harpo (Corey Hawkins), eventually marries Sofia (Danielle Brooks), a strong and feisty woman. Nettie briefly stays with "Mister" and Celie but is driven away when she refuses to submit to "Mister's" advances. "Mister" is actually in love with Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), the daughter of the local minister, Samuel Avery (David Alan Grier). Shug is a jazz/blues singer based in Memphis but comes regularly back home and stays with "Mister" and Celie.
The film follows the interaction of the characters, especially Celie, Shug, and Sofia, with "Mister" and Harpo. By the end, we learn Nettie's fate and that of Celie's two children.
"The Color Purple" is as emotionally draining as Steven Spielberg's earlier dramatic version. Unfortunately, I could not understand the words to many of the songs, reducing their impact. Some things are hinted at but not explained, e.g., a possible sexual relationship between Celie and Shug. The ending unfolds too quickly compared to the rest of the story, making it feel incomplete. Although the basic narrative comes through, I think the musical is less effective than the drama. I am generally biased against musicals except for "Cabaret" and "Fiddler on the Roof." So your results may vary if you like musicals.
"Mister" is just as abusive as Alfonso, allowing Celie no access to the outside world. His oldest child, Harpo (Corey Hawkins), eventually marries Sofia (Danielle Brooks), a strong and feisty woman. Nettie briefly stays with "Mister" and Celie but is driven away when she refuses to submit to "Mister's" advances. "Mister" is actually in love with Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), the daughter of the local minister, Samuel Avery (David Alan Grier). Shug is a jazz/blues singer based in Memphis but comes regularly back home and stays with "Mister" and Celie.
The film follows the interaction of the characters, especially Celie, Shug, and Sofia, with "Mister" and Harpo. By the end, we learn Nettie's fate and that of Celie's two children.
"The Color Purple" is as emotionally draining as Steven Spielberg's earlier dramatic version. Unfortunately, I could not understand the words to many of the songs, reducing their impact. Some things are hinted at but not explained, e.g., a possible sexual relationship between Celie and Shug. The ending unfolds too quickly compared to the rest of the story, making it feel incomplete. Although the basic narrative comes through, I think the musical is less effective than the drama. I am generally biased against musicals except for "Cabaret" and "Fiddler on the Roof." So your results may vary if you like musicals.