Analysing 'The Colour Purple' Film

Claire Fooks 10y

English Assignment

Analysing ‘The Colour Purple’ Film

‘The Colour Purple’ is a novel written by Alice Walker in 1982. It is the touching and inspirational story of Celie. The story is set at the start of the twentieth century and Celie is a young black girl living in the Deep South. Celie writes letters to God in which she tells about her life - her roles as daughter, wife, sister, and mother. Through the course of her story, Celie meets a series of other Black women who shape her life. Throughout the story Celie is the centre of this community of women, the one who knows how to survive. The highly praised Hollywood Director, Steven Spielberg modified the novel for film in the mid-1980s. When turning this novel into a film Spielberg may have anticipated some difficulties, such as condensing the story. The aim of the film was to portray the position and troubles of Afro-American women at the time. It shows that women were oppressed by their colour and gender. The harsh words said to Celie by Mister help depict the situation of most black women, ‘you black, you poor, you ugly, you a woman - you nothing at all’. Like the novel, Spielberg’s film does not dwell only on this depression and trouble, he also shows the strength and determination of the women. Despite all the scenes of racial cruelty, domestic violence and the shocking situations, the film shows the determination and strength of character that Afro-American women possess. The colour purple symbolises the bruises and suffering but becomes the colour of femininity and delight.

Firstly, I am going to analyse the opening section of the film. Spielberg has created a soft, blissful mood by choosing to play cheerful music, with birds tweeting and Celie and Nettie laughing. Spielberg chooses to make the first scene in an ebullient mood, to create contrast between the first and second sequence. This is effective because it shocks us the audience and is hard hitting. Spielberg also creates this mood by tracking the girls running around in the flowers, we as the audience see a close up of the purple flowers, which establishes their freedom. As the girls are running around in a field of purple flowers, the flowers are representative of the title of the film, the suffering and bruises and also the celebration during the film. When Celie emerges from the field and we see that she is pregnant, Spielberg chooses to use a long shot of Celie which pauses on Celie for a few seconds, we as the audience are shocked and made to realise that the life of Celie is not what it seemed when the two girls were running around in the flowers, also by pausing this image it allows we the audience to reflect on what we are seeing. Then we witness Pa coming towards the two girls and Spielberg uses a long shot to show all three characters, this is effective because it gives us a positive image about the characters relationship, but when the camera slightly zooms in on the two girls faces it makes us the audience slightly confused because the image of a happy family is ruined due to the way they react to Pa in a discomforting fashion. The image of a happy family is also shattered when Pa says, ‘Celie you got the ugliest smile this side of creation’, as the audience we are stunned that their step father has said this to Celie. In this first scene Spielberg depicts the strong relationship between Nettie and Celie, as while the girls are running through the field Nettie keeps looking back Celie, which shows they look out for each other. By creating this ebullient mood Spielberg creates a larger contrast between scenes one and two.

The contrast between the first scene and second scene is very harrowing for us the audience, the contrast also helps keep the pace of the film moving and it makes the contents of the second scene more hard hitting and stunning. When Celie is giving birth, Spielberg chooses to show a close up of Celie’s face looking at Nettie, and then straight after a close up of Nettie’s face looking at Celie, this is effective because it gives us the impression that the girls have a special bond. By choosing to use a close up of Celie’s face it depicts Celie’s emotions and makes us sympathise with Celie, as Spielberg wants us the audience to feel her pain. Spielberg chooses to show an extreme close up of Nettie ringing blood out of a cloth, by showing blood it portrays dramatic impact, suffering and it emphasises the pain Celie is going through. During the scene we see a silhouette of Pa standing outside, this creates tension and a disturbing atmosphere. We then hear Pa say, ‘Ain’t you done yet?’ this shows that Pa is mean and that Celie and Pa do not have a good relationship. The camera

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then zooms in on Celie’s face, until there is a close up of her face, we then hear footsteps entering the room and Celie’s facial expressions immediately transform to an uncomfortable mood, therefore we as an audience presume that the person that has entered the room is Pa, by doing this Spielberg creates anxiety and tension. We then see Pa’s hands take away the baby, with a mid-shot of Celie in the background, by showing the mid-shot of Celie’s face we the audience sympathise and feel sorry for Celie. By choosing to only show Pa’s hands, it is representative of Celie’s inferiority to Pa, as she has her whole body to take away the baby, but Pa only needs his hands. This is also effective because it shows that Celie is deprived and everything is taken away from her. When Pa says, ‘you better tell nobody but God’ we as the audience sense that there is no bond between Celie and Pa.

In the third scene at the beginning when the two girls are walking behind the wagon Spielberg chooses to use a close up of Celie’s face, as we see this close up, there is a voice over of Celie reading her letters that she has written to God. By using a close up, we the audience are allowed time to reflect on what we have seen in the previous scene and it also allows us to reflect on what Celie is saying in the voice over, so that we get a better understanding of what is happening to Celie and her situation. We then see an extreme close up of Celie and Nettie holding hands, this shows the strong relationship between the two sisters. This is followed by Nettie trying to get past Pa, but he will not let her. Spielberg chooses to use a tilt looking down towards Pa and we see Nettie’s perspective, we as the audience see that Nettie is next in line. When Pa is provoking Nettie he has a lecherous smile that shows he is evil, but is enjoying it. While Pa is provoking Nettie, we witness a shot with Nettie and Pa in the background and Celie in the foreground looking at Pa and Nettie and from her facial expressions we the audience are brought to understand that Celie is concerned and looking out for Nettie, this portrays the sisterhood between Nettie and Celie and shows how women stick together.

The following scene is at a wedding, the marriage is of a man and a young girl, by choosing to do this Spielberg is suggesting that this is going to happen to Celie or Nettie, they too will get married off while they are young. Spielberg chooses to show a close up of the young girl getting married looking distressed, this shows her discomfort about getting married. During the wedding we see a mid-shot of Mister lusting after Nettie, this is effective because it shows that Mister likes Nettie and would like her to be his wife; this represents the power that men have over women.

The next scene is of Mister coming to ask for Nettie to be his wife. As Mister is on a horse, we the audience see a close up of Mister and the shot is looking up towards Mister, this is effective because it establishes that Mister is very important and that he has high authority. When Mister asks for Nettie, Pa says ‘I can’t let you have Nettie, she’s to young, but I can let you have Celie’, as the audience, when Pa says he cannot have Nettie we are given the image that Pa is a generous man as he will not give Nettie away, but when Pa says he is willing to give Celie away we realise that Pa really is a repulsive, horrible character as he is willing to give away his step-child. While this is happening, on screen we also see Celie and Nettie’s reactions as Spielberg has combed two shots together. This is effective because we can hear and see what is happening outside and by showing the sisters reactions we as the audience are allowed to reflect on what is happening as the sisters are going to have to be split up and this is very heart-rending. Towards the end of the scene Pa says, ‘she ain’t fresh, she’s spoil twice, she’s ugly, but a hard worker’, this shows that women are nothing but a workhorse, and that men think they are more superior to women. When Pa says this it is as if he is talking about a vegetable not a human being when he says she is not fresh, he is talking as if Celie has no feelings or emotions. When Pa says this, we the audience see a close up of Celie, which allows us to sympathise with her.

I will now analyse he final two scenes in the first section that I am analysing. When Mister and Celie are travelling to Mister’s house, we see a long shot of them carrying Celie’s belongings, this shows the baron landscape which they are travelling to which may symbolise that Celie has no where to get away and escape.

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In the long shot we see Celie carrying everything, this is effective because it shows how unimportant Celie is to Mister as she is being made to work like a horse. The baggage he is carrying could also represent all the worries and fears she has, for example she will worry about Nettie on her own with Pa. While they are travelling Celie is lower down than Mister, this is effective because it shows Celie’s inferiority. When they arrive at Mister’s house we see a long shot of three small children, by using a long shot, it shows how small and inferior they are, so that when the eldest throws a stone at Celie, it represents that she can’t even stand up to children, this also shows her inferiority. As she has been hit Celie is feeling dazed and she falls over and places her hand on a rock and leaves a handprint of blood, this implies the horror she will get in her new house and the pain she has she’s suffered and the pain she will suffer in the future. When Celie has fallen over Mister runs past Celie which shows how he does not care about her.

In this first section that I have analysed Alice Walker’s purpose is being portrayed as Spielberg depicts the inferiority of Afro-American women in the nineteen hundreds. Alice Walker’s purpose of showing how women stand up for each other and look out for each other is also established in the first section through the way Spielberg has portrayed the relationship of Celie and Nettie. This is effective because it allows us the audience to sympathise with Celie and Nettie in the film.

I am now going to analyse the second section of the film that we watched. The first scene is of Sofia carrying her baby and walking up to her house. During this scene Spielberg chooses to use a special effect, Harpo falling through the roof, this is effective because it is humorous and it lightens the mood, it also contrasts the main theme of the film. Spielberg chooses to make this scene contrast with the rest of the film so that it creates an optimistic frame of mind. The special effect is enhanced by the lighthearted music; the music is effective because it provides relief from the hardship and suffering we have witnessed throughout the film so far. It also prepares us for the passionate, strong-willed character of Sofia and her very modern marriage. We as the audience witness a mid shot of Sofia and Harpo in the same room this shows they are equal because they are on the same level. Spielberg chooses to use a point of view shot from Sofia this is effective because it allow us the audience to see the situation from Sofia’s perspective, which reinforces the relationship Spielberg establishes between the female characters and the audience.

In the next scene we witness Mister working in the field talking to Harpo. At the beginning of he scene we see a close up of Harpo, this is effective because it shows how he looks up to his father. We also witness a shot looking from behind Harpo up to his father; this also shows how Harpo looks up to his father and it represents Mister’s domination, and how Harpo feels ashamed, as he wants to live up to his father’s standards, yet Harpo cannot control his own wife. This may also make Harpo feel unmanly. There is positive music playing during the scene, which like he first scene in this section creates an ebullient mood.

The following scene is of Sofia and Celie working in their vegetable plot and Celie tells Harpo to beat Sofia. While Sofia and Celie are working on the vegetable plot he camera tracks he two women a they are raking the earth, this is effective because it reinforces the relationship between he two women and allows us to follow them and experience hat they are going through. When Harpo goes up to the vegetable plot he tries to talk to Sofia, but she ignores him, this represents the control Sofia has over Harpo. When Sofia has left, Harpo asks Celie, ‘what am I gonna do about Sofia?’ and Celie replies, ‘beat her’, by saying this it shows that Celie does not anything else, but for a man to beat his wife and it shocks us the audience. To create dramatic tension Spielberg chooses to stop the music and have silence, it also allows us to reflect on what Celie has just said. When Celie tells Harpo to beat Sofia, we witness a shot from behind Harpo looking down on Celie; this shows Celie’s inferiority. We also see Harpo’s fist clenched, this shows he has power over Celie and makes Celie feel intimidated. I think this works well, but I think that Spielberg should have used a close up of Celie’s

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face when she says beat her and then pause, as his would allow us the audience to reflect on what Celie has just said and it would create more impact.

The following scene is of Sofia’s vehement backlash towards Celie. The camera is tracking Sofia from above; this is effective because it shows how Sofia is walking prominently which shows Sofia’s strong character. This camera technique is also effective because it quickens the pace as Sofia walks quickly and so the camera tracks after her quickly, by quickening the pace Spielberg creates tension and intensity. The camera then zooms in to a close up of Sofia so we can experience Sofia’s feelings and it shows her emotions. This scene jump cuts into the next scene of Harpo telling mister what happened, but he is lying. By jump cutting from the two scenes Spielberg shows us the two sides of the story and the affect of Celie’s advice. Harpo tried to beat Sofia but Sofia stood up for herself and hit Harpo back, so Harpo pretends it was a mule, Spielberg makes this amusing because we the audience know that he is lying, and there is a sense of triumph for women as Sofia stood up for herself. As Harpo pretends that it was a mule that hit him, mule could be seen as a metaphor as afro-American women were made to carry things like mules. This scene then jump cuts to the previous scene, which like before creates contrast between the two scenes. In this scene we witness a close up of Sofia saying, ‘I loves Harpo, but God knows I do, but I would kill him dead before I let him beat me’, by using a close up it shows Sofia’s emotions and allows us to sympathise with her. The line she says shows she is a strong woman and stands up for herself.

During this section Alice Walker was trying to show the strong nature of Sofia’s character to show that there were women who stood up for themselves and to bring a sense of triumph to the story. Spielberg creates this well, as the audience we a subjected to Sofia’s strong will, and determination through the ways in which Spielberg allows us to acknowledge the emotions and feelings of Sofia.

I am now going to analyse the third section of the film we watched, in which Sofia and Harpo are in their local town. In the first scene Sofia is standing with her children waiting for Harpo, Miss Millie the mayors wife, who is white, goes over to Sofia’ children and starts fussing over them. We witness a close up of Sofia; this is effective because it shows us the audience Sofia’s discomfort. Sofia then hugs her children, which shows she is protective of her children. In the background there is jovial music, which creates a cheerful mood. Miss Millie kisses the face of one of Sofia’s children, and then the child wipes his face, this lightens the mood of the film as it is humorous and it also shows Miss Millie’s stupidity fussing. Miss Millie is very patronising when she says, ‘your kids are clean’, we then see a close up of Sofia, showing her reaction to what Miss Millie has just said, and it creates a sense of uneasiness. Miss Millie asks Sofia to be her maid and Sofia replies, ‘Hell no’, and Miss Millie asks her what she said. At this point the music stops and here is silence, which creates tension and intensity. The scene then cuts to Harpo at the gas station and we see a close up of his face, which shows us the audience that he is worried about what Sofia is going to do. Then the Mayor comes over and asks Sofia what she said and Sofia replies, when she replies she has her hands on her hip, which shows her strong character, and how she is not afraid. The Mayor then slaps Sofia and he falls and puts her hand on the car and we see a close up of her hand clenching into a fist, by doing this, we the audience know that Sofia is angry and is going to react. The clenching of her fist creates a scarping sound that builds up tension. We then witness an extreme close up of Sofia’s eye; this shows her anger and speeds up the pace. A lorry drives past and blocks he audience’s view, by doing this Spielberg creates tension because we the audience do not know what is happening behind the lorry and it detaches it for Sofia. The colour of he lorry is red and yellow, these colours are often associated with danger, which shows that Sofia is gain to do something that is and wrong and that she will regret. We then see crowds running over to Sofia and they all encircle her, we ten see a point of view shot from Sofia that tracks around the circle, this creates a feeling of no escape, that she is trapped. All the onlookers are shouting at Sofia and we cannot understand what they are saying, this

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makes us the audience overwhelmed at what is happening to Sofia, and helps us feel her fear and desperation. Sofia then gets hit with a crow bar and the spiralling of events and actions come to a halt. When the man comes in with he crow bar there is a sense of shock and helplessness. The music goes solemn which represents the sadness and allows us to sympathise. Spielberg chooses not to show Sofia being hit; instead the camera swiftly zooms out to an aerial view of Sofia on the floor surrounded by a circle of people. This is effective because instead of just focusing on Sofia, it allow us to view he whole situation. Spielberg chooses o pause the scene when we are viewing the aerial shot to allow us time to reflect. When Sofia falls over her skirt blows up; this shows she has no dignity.

This section teaches us the audience that white people had a lot of power over afro-American people at the time and black people were heavily discriminated due to their colour in the society. These effects are very powerful on the audience as they shock us. Spielberg makes this scene effective as he makes us the audience feel helpless towards Sofia and sympathise with the afro-American people. In this section I think that we the audience should witness Sofia punch the Mayor as it would make us feel more triumph that Sofia has stood up for herself, because all though we are aware of what happened, it would create more impact if we actually saw Sofia hit the Mayor.

I am now going to analyse the final section that we watched. In the first scene at the dinner party, we the audience see a mid shot of Sofia looking down, this shows how Sofia has lost all her confidence from being in jail, by showing this image, we as the audience express sympathy for Sofia. Towards he beginning of he scene we witness and aerial shot of everybody sitting at the dining table, therefore, we can establish who is at the dinner table. There is a close up of Celie holding her head high, this implies that Celie is now more confident than she was before and we feel delighted that Celie is now like this. Celie stands up to Mister and says to him, ‘you’re a low down dirty dog’, this makes us he audience feel triumph and jubilation, as Celie has overcome Mister and stood up to him. When Celie says this Spielberg chooses to use a mid shot of Celie with other characters in the shot, this takes away some of the impact that Alice Walker would have wanted to be portrayed. After Celie stands up to Mister we witness a close up of a side profile of Celie with Mister in the background, this works well because it allows the intimacy with Celie and also Mister’s reactions. We then hear Sofia laughing; this shows that her spirits have been lifted because Celie has stood up to Mister. It also breaks up the tension in the scene. Sofia laughing also gives us he audience a sense of gladness and a sense of relief that her attitude hasn’t been totally crushed by white people. Spielberg then chooses to pull back and show an aerial shot of everybody at the dinner table, this gives a break from the scene and eases the tension intensity. We then see a mid shot of Mister standing up, this shows that he still has more authority over Celie and can easily stand up to her. Celie then grabs the knife that we have seen while she has been talking, the knife represents the contrast of how he power has shifted from Mister of Celie, by picking up the knife it also creates suspension and represents power and revenge. We then witness a shot from behind Celie looking down on Mister; this shows the character reversal between Celie and Mister. When Mister is talking we can just see his mouth, this shows how he is spiting out the words. When Shug Avery’s husband leaves he says, ‘it’s been a pleasure meeting you all’, this breaks up the tension and lightens the mood.

The next scene is of Celie leaving. As this scene is outside it is bright and sunny, this creates a contrast between the previous scene as inside it was dark and gloomy, the bright yellow car also helps to create this contrast. Celie is getting in the back of the car and Mister comes after Celie and tries to hit her, but Celie puts her hand out and stops him, this makes us the audience feel immense triumph as Celie has overcome Mister. We also witness a shot from behind Celie looking down on Mister, this is effective because it shows how Celie’s overcome Mister and is now higher than him, which gives us the audience great jubilation.

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Spielberg has adapted the film very well and he has managed to portray all of Alice Walker’s purposes. The film is touching and inspirational. It shows how other black women have helped shape Celie’s life and she is the centre of this community of women. Towards the end of the film as the audience we feel an immense sense of triumph and jubilation and surely this film inspires all.