Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, D.W. Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisaical purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when it won none.

The Color Purple (1995) is a movie I recently watched for the first time in a long time on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a little girl who was given away for marriage. Her husband is a lying, cheating abusive man who separates her from her family and forces her to live a life under his rule. When friends from her past get more involved in her life some years later, hopefully she gains the confidence to stand up for herself. The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg (Jaws) and stars Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Whoopie Goldberg (Jumping Jack Flash), Oprah Winfrey (The Butler), Margaret Avery (Magnum Force) and Rae Dawn Chong (Commando). The storyline for this is so well written and delivers compelling characters and brilliantly shows their evolution. It is very compelling. The cast delivers their roles perfectly and he cinematography and settings are magnificent. I wouldn't change a single thing about this movie. I loved it. I'd score this an easy 10/10.