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The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a poor Black girl in Georgia (the young version played by Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) who has been dealt, like so many Black women before her, a life of abuse, racism, loneliness and self-loathing. As Celie survives domestic violence from her father, her husband Mister (Domingo), and has her children stripped from her, she is on a journey of resilience, redemption, and self-discovery. Self-love and community care are the two forces that save Celie, and the beautiful message of The Color Purple is that the bonds of Black sisterhood can heal even the deepest wounds. In the original text, those bonds are tethered by romantic and platonic love — Celie clearly falls in love with the charismatic blues singer Shug, and her friendship with Sofia and unconditional love for her estranged sister Nettie (played by Halle Bailey and Ciara, respectively) carry her through her darkest moments. In the 1985 movie and the Broadway musical adaptation, Celie and Shug’s romance is more implied than explicit and the erasure of Celie’s queerness does a disservice to both. In the 2023 version, the oversight is an egregious misuse of Barrino and Henson’s talent. The omission of a true queer love story (they still kiss but its meaning is left slightly ambiguous) takes away from the beauty and potential boldness of this remake.
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