The story of Celie, a woman in the rural American south who’s married off to an obnoxious farmer and loses touch with her beloved sister…
Seen before? Once, a long time ago.
Best performance: There are terrific performances all round, but Whoopi Goldberg stands out.
Best scene/moment/sequence: The crosscutting between Celie reading letters from her sister and her sister’s life in Africa is very deftly handled.
Review: Spielberg’s first attempt at a ‘serious’, ‘grown-up’ film. It might be melodrama, but it’s melodrama made by very talented people. I was especially impressed by how the passage of time was conveyed – the story takes place between 1909 and 1937, and make-up, production design and especially actors’ performances help dramatise this progression very well indeed. (You’d swear Oprah Winfrey actually ages 20 years.)
Eight cutthroat razors out of 10.
