The Color Purple (2023)

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule, opened in theaters on Christmas day. Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer prize winning novel The Color Purple set the foundation for Steven Spielberg’s 1985 Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award winning flm of the same name, and the Tony and Grammy winning musical produced on Broadway by Quincy Jones in 2005. The new flm takes infuence from all three, yet manages to be a unique and engaging experience.

Equity ––––– (Continued from page 1) of NYS HCR, discontinued for new incoming applicants, effective January 1, 2024; and

“Be it further resolved that Resolution #11-36 and Resolution #13-80 are rescinded in their entirety with respect to new incoming applicants as of January 1, 2024; …”

Resolution 23-66, submitted by Board Director Lynette Wight and seconded by Director Rod Saunders, was also supported by Board President Sonia Feliciano and Directors Monique Coleman, Daryl Johnson, Kevin Lambright, Michelle Marbury, May Pearson and Claudia Sampson. Directors Bernard Cylich and Andrea Leslie voted no; Directors Leslie Peterson and Anika Green-Watson abstained, and Director Leah Richardson and Bishop Angelo Rosario were absent.

The Riverbay Board initially approved the deferred payment option to new shareholders purchasing apartments in Co-op City at its April 13, 2011 Business meeting, noting, at the time, that CitiMortgage was the only lender providing loans to incom- ing shareholders and had increased scrutiny of loan applicants which resulted in a lengthier approval process. In addition, fewer loans were being issued and Riverbay’s efforts to local additional lenders had been unsuccessful. Resolution 11-36 directed Management to “put together and implement a plan whose terms will mimic Citimortgage’s,” however, Riverbay Corporation also required the incoming shareholders to put down a 25% down payment of the cost of purchasing the new apartment.

In 2013, the Board approved a larger down payment for shareholders participating in the Deferred Equity Program. Through Resolution 13-80, Riverbay had the fexibility to set the required down payment to a fgure between 25-50%, depending on demand for apartments. And, according to resolution 23-66, “since 2013, Management has been operating the Deferred Equity Program with a 35% down payment requirement, with the balance of 65% payable over a seven (7) year term at 5% percent interest …”

Franchise alumni were heavily involved in the development of this flm – producers included the likes of Walker, Jones, Spielberg, and Oprah Winfrey who starred in the original movie. Bazawule and screenwriter Marcus Gardley brought a fresh take to the story, while working with big name actresses like Fantasia Barrino (Celie), Taraji P. Henson (Shug Avery), Danielle Brooks (Sofa), and Halle Bailey (Nettie). While the flm offers much in terms of acting, writing, and plot, this review focuses on its cinematography, music, and theme.

Cinematographer Dan Laustsen, best known from his involvement in the John Wick franchise, does more than capture the narrative; he personifes it. His use of color and lighting specifcally, complemented by the costume and set design, gave everything on screen as much life as the characters. A journey through fear and engagement is refected in the clash between light and shadow on screen. The juxtaposition of warm and cold tones on screen evokes the memory of certain characters and the love or pessimism associated with them.

Though some were surprised that the movie was a musical, Dec. 25th viewers at AMC applauded after a number of the flm’s singing and dance numbers. The flm’s music liberates characters from pessimism. The prominent work songs, for example, transform labor from a dreaded chore for a boss, into a fulflling action for one’s community. Even the most mournful ballads provide a reprieve from truly depressing moments.

While the flm, which follows the life of a Black woman named Celie throughout the frst half of the 1900s, has a number of themes, correspondence is arguably the most prominent. It demonstrated the importance of free discussion as a weapon against oppression. It is only when Celie’s voice is heard by someone like a friend, sister, or lover, that she can confdently speak up for herself. Dialogues with women she loves directly affects her monologues, and the way she presents herself when there is no one around to judge her. Ultimately, it is only through written and verbal affrmation that she breaks free from the factors silencing her.

Whether as a book, musical, or flm, The Color Purple has been a classic for more than forty years. This flm adds to that tradition in a commemorative yet innovative way.

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