The Color Purple

The Color Purple, released in 1985, created a mix of emotions among the black community, for the ways in which it both varied and stayed true to the original novel.  

Significantly, Spielberg’s movie does not discuss the themes of nationalism that was raised in Waker’s novel. She writes, "White people busy celebrating they independence from England July 4^th, say Harpo, so most black folks don’t have to work. Us spend day celebrating each other, and, “the way you know who discover America, Nettie say, is think bout cucumbers.” The original text uses these lines to depict the ways that African American women do not feel like a true part of America because of their exploitation, discrimination, and history of violence and slavery from the dominating whites. This theme is starkly absent from the Hollywood adaptation.This echoes the usual whitewashing of film; it does not want to create guilt for the white American audience, and it also shows that Spielberg himself is not willing to fully acknowledge white privilege and its deleterious effects on the African American community. The film goes on to fully emphasize the role of sisterhood and bonding, but neglects Shug and Celie’s sexual relationship; the film must only portray socially acceptable relationships, especially within the already controversial context of the story.