If you've been here a while you'll know that The Color Purple was (to date) one of the few books from the books to read poster that was both new to me and that I enjoyed.So when I heard there was a new film version out I was keen to see it, although I doubted if it would get this far north.
Well it did, and when reading the blurb on the cinema e-mail I noticed it said 'based on the book and the Broadway musical' and I was like 'Whoa! What! A Musical!' and wondered if I really did want to see it. I havered a bit and then thought what the heck and suggested that we go.
So we did, yesterday. We even had a bit of lunch in the cinema cafe beforehand. This was less than exciting, but perfectly nice. Then we went to the 13.00 screening where there were the two of us and one other solitary patron, but I suppose lots of people can't do one o'clock on a weekday.
I persist in my belief that this story does not need to be a musical and I am not sure that the songs, few though they were, actually added anything to the story. In particular there an incredibly cringemaking musical number purporting to show the welcome received by some black American missionaries in 'Africa', including a dance by some half naked 'natives' who also sported some extremely colourful feathers which were never ever worn by a bird. Not that shape, not that colour. Also not that amount of artificial textile.
Nitpicking aside though, I did enjoy it. As did the OH, much to our mutual surprise. Like the book, it moved me to anger, to laughter and to tears, and was also, like the book, ultimately beautifully life affirming. What more can you ask? *
*other than the opportunity to see the previous, non-musical film version of course.
... and beautifully filmed. Worth seeing just for that.
ReplyDelete...a musical?? That one seems to have passed me by! I'm so glad it was good, despite everything. It's a wonderful book.
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