Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2527 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 148 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
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, DW 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 paradisiacal 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 The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson

Amazon.co.uk Review
Steven Spielberg took a melodramatic DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. 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 paradisiacal 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 The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com

On the DVD: The Color Purple makes a sumptuous transfer to DVD in this special edition. The lush and vibrant cinematography is well served by the widescreen format; Quincy Jones's warmly enveloping score, shot through with jazz age references, is superbly enhanced by surround sound. The extras are ideal companions to the main picture, detailing the passage of Alice Walker's novel from book to screen. Walker herself recalls the anxieties of the process, while director Spielberg and various cast members remember many poignant moments during and after filming, reminding us with a jolt that this beautifully made, hugely popular and inspirational film didn't win a single Academy Award. --Piers Ford

Special Features
English
Region 2

Customer Reviews

understated classic
Not being a very big spielberg fan (shock)i was roped into watching this so called "womans" film with a friend of mine i was very sceptical about the film subject and some of the actors and actresses playing the roles. However it was one of the best film experiences i have encountered moving in some places and harrowing in others spielberg has delivered an absolute classic which touches the heart and handles the difficult subject matter with care and precision.whoopi goldberg gives an outstanding peformance and was well worthy of her oscar nomination and was very unlucky not to win it.Add a very good danny glover and a fantastic performance by oprah winfrey and you have a great modern day classic. exceptional movie, exceptional acting,exceptional viewing .

Picture full of colour!
Watching Color Purple is indulging yourself in cinema at its charming best-- lovable, well-rounded, deeply emotional and very grounding. Yes, the characters are as stereotypical as stereotypical can be, and there's a lot of theatrical-isque role-play; but what matters the most is that the film's got its heart in the right place and that's what makes it so imminently watchable.

Spielberg's direction is top-notch as he extracts some of the most inspiring performances from the whole cast. Right from Whoopi's Goldberg sympathetic Celie to Oprah Winfrey's riotous Sofia to Danny Glover's menacing Albert to Margaret Avery's sensuous Shug to Akosua's earthy Nettie... every character's given ample time and space to develop and register an impact, and that's precisely what they do. Of all the threads that revolve around the debauched status of women --- domestic violence, girl infanticide, illiteracy, forced marriages, racism-- what emerges as an absolute winner is the no-holds-barred love of the two sisters-- Celie and Nettie.

What also works for the film is its makers' dedication to set it up in all the rusticity, all the wilderness and rawness of down South and Africa --- the cinematography and the background music is so perfect and so timeless, it doesn't feel a bit dated. The film's an absolute family entertainment (though some scenes can be rather too raw and graphical for teeny-weenies) and its message of love, sacrifice, sincerity and honesty redeeming even the ugliest of existences; of realising one's inside beauty and confidence is really strengthening. Its a yarn well spun and with something so pure, its really hard to find fault with. Maybe the whopping 2.5 hours somewhat blunt the overall effect, but the leisurely mood and the numerous endearing characters keep the tension factor much low and subtle.

Give this one a try... rest assured you'll find yourself laughing and crying with the colourful characters!

This is a tale of one womans battle for respect and love.
The film is originally adapted from a book by Alice Walker. The film is about Celie a young black woman, who is abused by her step-farther and becomes pregnant by him, who promptly sells the baby. Celie is later quickly married off to a man that considers her to be worthless and soon her abuse occurs again. She has become a slave to her husband, there is some joy when Nettie her sister comes to stay but soon is forced out by mister (celie's husband). Celie although devestated by their seperation, finds some comfort in visiting friends, but her battle with her husband continues. The only hope she keeps is hearing from her sister. The film is touching and beautifully done, i can not think of anything to fault it. It is a timeless classic, powerfull and moving. Definetly one to watch.