On Christmas Day, the world will get re-introduced to the ‘The Color Purple”— the upcoming movie musical adaptation that bills itself as a “bold new take” on a “beloved classic.”
And while descriptors like that may seem lofty for a project that’s based on such a seminal work in the canon of Black literature (and literature at-large, if we’re keeping it a buck) a.k.a. Alice Walker’s 1982 novel of the same name—the forthcoming film lives up to it thanks to the creative vision put forth by director Blitz Bazawule and heartfelt performances given by the cast. Starring Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Corey Hawkins, Colman Domingo and more, this new iteration showcases the story of resilience, self/platonic/romantic-love and how it can all be leveraged for the better to create a more fulfilling life.
But while the story hinges on the tumultuous tale of our protagonist Celie (played by Barrino-Taylor), the male characters of the film are not without notable arcs of their own. Emmy-winning actor Domingo stars as a sinister Mister, Celie’s abusive husband while Tony Award-nominee Hawkins takes on the mantle of Harpo, Mister’s meek and formerly disempowered son. And though their redemptive storylines come secondary, if not tertiary, to the central perspectives present—the experience of bringing their respective characters to life was something that made both actors and Bazawule revel in the spiritual magnitude and gratitude of the moment.
“I say, ‘look at what God has done’ every day. If you’re present, like my brother here said he feels present, you can’t not think, ‘look what God has done.’ And that —it fills in the blanks of all those blanks of looking at where you come from, looking at how you got here, looking at the gifts that you have, the stories you’re able to tell,” Domingo explained to The Root. “This is a blessing. This is a gift to be a part of work like this that’s meaningful and to sort of just be living and breathing. That ‘look, what God has done’ is just saying: ‘I’m here, I’m present. There’s lots of those markers in this film, which is, ‘I’m here.’ That’s also ‘look at what God has done.’ God has got me over, gotten me through and whatever that is for anybody. Faith, possibility.”
Hawkins echoed similar sentiments, sharing that the true essence of God’s presence in the film for him lies within the acknowledgement of love and the higher power that tethers us all:
“If God is in me, right, and we truly believe that? And if God is in you and I truly believe that — no matter what our relationship is, I have to find love in you. Because if I don’t find that love in you, I can’t find that love in myself. So you have to be present, you have to find that. That’s why I just love this, what Alice Walker gave us. It’s a reminder.”
For Bazawule, who grew up in Ghana and had no direct path from the dirt roads of Accra to the shining lights (and eventual purple carpet) of Hollywood, the road to creating a film of this nature alone speaks to the significance of the moment. The decorated creator also alluded to the greater calling of a seminal project like “The Color Purple” and emphatically proclaimed the work as a “healing work” that was done in service to both the creators who brought this story to life and the viewers who will take in the story upon viewing.
“Every day on that set was being in deep reverence and deep appreciation for the opportunity that it is. And also knowing that we are contributing to the brilliant canon that is Alice Walker’s brain child. That is a ‘look what God has done,” he told The Root. “Then it came down to, okay, ‘I think I need this cast member.’ And then they say no. And then you find out later that, ‘oh my goodness, maybe God was trying to tell me something.’ Because if this person was part of this, we would not have this, you know? And so it’s also learning to submit to the ‘Color Purple’ and just going: ‘we’re here to be in service of the narrative, in service of the spirit.’
“That is the work that we’re doing. And also understanding that this is healing work. And, so many of us —I will say —have gone through a healing journey in making this film. So I know without a doubt that it will be healing to many outside of it,” he concluded.
“The Color Purple” is in theaters everywhere on Christmas Day.