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Monday, August 27, 2007

Oh That Harpo...

One reader Qadeer, had this thoughtful thing to say about the Color Purple:

'I can't think of another film that so many black women can quote line for line, and though it won plenty of awards, I believe it's appeal to women is one of the main reasons that this film doesn't get the critical recognition it deserves.'

It might have been that, or the fashionable hate of Steven Spielberg at the time it was made. Or maybe the haterade of Oprah, who didn't get her due in this film or Beloved (which is one of my faves, and oddly, not one person voted for).

This clip is a Sims version that I thought was pretty clever.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not one person voted for Beloved, because the book is way better than the film. The film is good, if you haven't read the book or don't know the book exists. Beloved is one of my favorite books, and sorry the movie doesn't even compare. I enjoy the movie, but it couldn't capture the depth of the book.

The same thing with Their Eyes Were Watching God. I was so disappointed in the movie because I loved the book so much.

But when it come to The Color Purple, I honestly think the movie is better than the book. It enhances the book, it doesn't strip it away.

Qadree said...

I have to confess that I did like Beloved more than The Color Purple. I actually didn't enjoy The Color Purple, but I try to look at a film objectively for it's artistic merits, irrespective of how entertained I am by it, before I give it a vote as a truly great film. I do realize however, that most people are listing the films that they had the most fun watching.

As far as the book comparison goes, I do believe that a film should try to remain faithful to the source material, but this isn't always feasible. A film has to be judged on it's own merits because the two art forms are fundamentally different and most people who see screen adaptations are unaware that the books ever existed anyway.

Invisible Woman said...

I agree. If you didn't read the book, the movie Beloved was amazing...it would be almost impossible to put that detail on film. I read The Color Purple and am probably the only black woman in America not bowled over by either the book or the film.

Sorry I spelled your name wrong qadree :-(

Anonymous said...

I thought The Color Purple, the movie was a great translation of the book and I thought Speilberg did a wonderful job. Watching it today, it is a great joy to watch. I don't think it got the awards it should have because at the time spielberg was a hated man in hollywood, or else E.T. would have been a best picture winner. I have yet to watch beloved, though I've been told (and it seems to be agreed upon here) that its not very good and the book is way better. Remind me to get around to reading it ya?

Invisible Woman said...

Valkor-I actually loved Beloved very much; it is one of my favorite films....no one could've ever translated that book in a true form on film, but Demme's version was so very different in every aspect of a Hollywood movie. He took the subject matter and brought it to a very surreal level that was ugly and beautiful at the same time.