Imagine being a blk woman during this time, being "free", BUT now you are under the mercy of the blk men around you, who mistreated you. I can't imagine that type of trauma. Being r*ped by them, beat by them, and knowing you literally have no one to go to for help. You can't go to any "authorities" because they could not care less about a blk girl/woman being r*ped.
I heard several questions about why Celie wasn't running away from her abusive marriage. First of course is as you mentioned, conditioning. This sort of treatment was all she knew. But there's also the issue of the TIMES. While women could own land, they couldn't do any banking at all (women couldn't legally get their own bank account w/o their father or husband's permission until 1974 in the US, and other western countries were similar), and most jobs they could get were low paying, if they could get one at all. Celie had the skills to become a maid or cook, but since she'd never worked outside of the house before, she had no recommendations, which would mean she wouldn't likely be hired. She didn't leave because like 90%+ of women of the time, there was nowhere for her to go. She would have died starving in the streets, and that's one of the *better* scenarios. The only reason she does get away is because Shug & Grady were willing to take her in.
In the book, Mister & Shug were a couple who had kids out of wedlock. He wanted to marry her but his father forbade him (which is why Shug called him weak). Shug’s parents took her kids from her to raise & shunned her from the church. That young girl singing Gods Tryna Tell You Something was her daughter.
It's intersting seeing even male reactors flinching, and saying 'uh oh, better not do this or that' in response to Celie's interactions with Mister. The viewers just kinda get caught up in going along with the abuse.The presence of toxic masculinity has become so commonplace that no one even bats an eye at its presence. Around the world, it is so well known that even you were able to predict its patterns in this movie before it happened. How incredibly sad.
If you like stories about American race relations, you should check out: Harriet, Loving, The Help, Hidden Figures, Green Book, Driving Miss Daisy. They were all great movies with interesting POVs on race.
It’s only power if you recognize it. 38:07 Thank you for seeing it with fresh eyes and talking yourself through it. You asked really thoughtful and empathetic questions. I enjoyed rewatching with you. You should watch the musical now. It’s closer to the book and a little more nuanced.
Thanks, Will! 💜 I love this one. I wrote a rave review of it for my high school newspaper, back then. 🔸 Be sure to catch *Whoopi* *Goldberg* in GHOST (1990) and JUMPIN' JACK FLASH (1986). 🔸 Another *Steven* *Spielberg* one I hope you'll get to someday is EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987).
Good reaction. I'm glad you chose to react to this. You just gained a new subscriber. Give Celie a break about the sophia thing. All she knew was getting beat. That is what she thought was supposed to happen to women. And she couldn't stand up for herself, so your she his stand up for Sophia. She had to find that strength and it took years. You should check out The Butler. That is a saga abs a true story as well.
Ok. If you don’t mind, let me break some things down for you. Miss Celie did not tell Harpo to beat Sofia just to be mean. She did it because she knew Sofia would beat the dawg out of Harpo. These are things she wished she could do to him (remember he threw a rock at hit her head at their first meeting. He never changed in his ways of treating Celie.) So it was a little bit of justice for him and Celie would get to watch him get what she has always wanted to do to him… and Mister and all of the men who has abused her. She knew she couldn’t, but Sofia can and will beat him. Celie and Nettie were separated for 30 years. Imagine being beaten, abused and used like a “toilet” and the only somebody who truly loved her was taken away from her. So, she had 30 years of depression, being alone, and wishing that someday she would be reunited with Nettie but that hope died, too. After awhile you don’t feel pain, love, happiness. Nothing but despair and praying God will go ahead and take you away from this life of bondage that he has placed you in. Remember when Celie leaves she says, “until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble.” And when she is getting in the car, she raises her hand to Mister and says, “everything you done to me, I already done to you.” She cursed him. Not in the way of voodoo, but telling him that his life is going to fall apart until he owns up to what he’s done and he’s going to have to make restitution or live in the darkness that he made her live in. After he pays for getting Nettie and her family back, that weight has been lifted from him. When Adam and Tashi are being cut in a ritual, it is them actually being circumcised. It’s more brutal for Tashi but that was the only way it could have been shown. Celie and Shug actually do become lovers. They stay together for the rest of their lives. All of the African scenes were actually filmed in North Carolina in the U.S. It didn’t win any Oscars, mostly for politics. First, some of the black community didn’t like that a white, Jewish man was going to direct and produce this book. What would he know about it? 🙄 Quincey Jones is noted as the head score writer, but 12 people were named as writing the score. There’s no way the Academy are giving 12 Oscars for one score. Its major competitor was “Out of Africa”. Meryl Streep was nominated and expected to win if Whoopi didn’t. BUT Geraldine Paige was nominated for “The Trip to Bountiful”. It was her 8th nomination with zero wins, and to be honest, she sincerely deserved it over the other two! Oprah and Margaret Avery were both nominated for Supporting Actress. When that happens, they usually cancel each other out and neither wins. Danny Glover was not nominated because the voting members thought he did too good of a job and showed black men in a bad light. I REALLY disagree with them on that category! If he made you feel that angry, he did his job well. This film really touches my heart because I was brought up in the same way, except Celie’s family had way more money. They were not poor. There’s so much more I can talk about but I’ve already made this too long. Thanks for watching.
My advice to reaction host is.... try not to talk to much. This host missed 5 important point's in the movie and if host would allow at least 3 minute's to roll before speaking they would catch a lot more understanding.
![The Color Purple [1985] Reaction | FIRST TIME WATCHING](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/u1Ccy6M2E7A/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Color Purple [1985] Reaction | FIRST TIME WATCHING](/img/tr.png)
you missed that celie didnt know his name until shug said it. my grandmother, still living grew up like this. she is now the oldest out of 15 siblings
This was the first movie that ever made me cry. I saw it for the first time when I was 12. Very heavy subject matter but such a beautiful film.
Imagine being a blk woman during this time, being "free", BUT now you are under the mercy of the blk men around you, who mistreated you. I can't imagine that type of trauma. Being r*ped by them, beat by them, and knowing you literally have no one to go to for help. You can't go to any "authorities" because they could not care less about a blk girl/woman being r*ped.
I heard several questions about why Celie wasn't running away from her abusive marriage. First of course is as you mentioned, conditioning. This sort of treatment was all she knew. But there's also the issue of the TIMES. While women could own land, they couldn't do any banking at all (women couldn't legally get their own bank account w/o their father or husband's permission until 1974 in the US, and other western countries were similar), and most jobs they could get were low paying, if they could get one at all. Celie had the skills to become a maid or cook, but since she'd never worked outside of the house before, she had no recommendations, which would mean she wouldn't likely be hired.
She didn't leave because like 90%+ of women of the time, there was nowhere for her to go. She would have died starving in the streets, and that's one of the *better* scenarios. The only reason she does get away is because Shug & Grady were willing to take her in.
The saddest part is,being in Louisiana, this storyline is not that removed 😔 When Sophia couldn't stay for Christmas, that always broke me
The Alice Walker novel that this is based on is even better and answers some of the questions you had.
By the way, Whoopi won her Oscar for “Ghost” in the supporting actress category. It’s a beautiful love story and thriller. She was the comic relief.
In the book, Mister & Shug were a couple who had kids out of wedlock. He wanted to marry her but his father forbade him (which is why Shug called him weak). Shug’s parents took her kids from her to raise & shunned her from the church. That young girl singing Gods Tryna Tell You Something was her daughter.
ah i assumed she was perhaps a younger sister
I never realized that about the girl at the end singing in the church.
Geez! I'm old. I remember this coming out when I was in 9th grade!
It's intersting seeing even male reactors flinching, and saying 'uh oh, better not do this or that' in response to Celie's interactions with Mister. The viewers just kinda get caught up in going along with the abuse.The presence of toxic masculinity has become so commonplace that no one even bats an eye at its presence. Around the world, it is so well known that even you were able to predict its patterns in this movie before it happened. How incredibly sad.
14:59
It can happen with abuse victims, they can actually end up repeating the cycle unfortunately....
First watch on your channel. Loved your commentary. Thanks for viewing this film, it's my favorite movie. New subscriber!
If you like stories about American race relations, you should check out: Harriet, Loving, The Help, Hidden Figures, Green Book, Driving Miss Daisy. They were all great movies with interesting POVs on race.
It’s only power if you recognize it. 38:07
Thank you for seeing it with fresh eyes and talking yourself through it. You asked really thoughtful and empathetic questions. I enjoyed rewatching with you. You should watch the musical now. It’s closer to the book and a little more nuanced.
Great reaction 👍
This movie hits you hard! I’ve seen it many times and misogyny is still a thing. 😊
Thanks, Will! 💜 I love this one. I wrote a rave review of it for my high school newspaper, back then. 🔸 Be sure to catch *Whoopi* *Goldberg* in GHOST (1990) and JUMPIN' JACK FLASH (1986). 🔸 Another *Steven* *Spielberg* one I hope you'll get to someday is EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987).
Good reaction. I'm glad you chose to react to this. You just gained a new subscriber.
Give Celie a break about the sophia thing. All she knew was getting beat. That is what she thought was supposed to happen to women. And she couldn't stand up for herself, so your she his stand up for Sophia. She had to find that strength and it took years.
You should check out The Butler. That is a saga abs a true story as well.
Ok. If you don’t mind, let me break some things down for you.
Miss Celie did not tell Harpo to beat Sofia just to be mean. She did it because she knew Sofia would beat the dawg out of Harpo. These are things she wished she could do to him (remember he threw a rock at hit her head at their first meeting. He never changed in his ways of treating Celie.) So it was a little bit of justice for him and Celie would get to watch him get what she has always wanted to do to him… and Mister and all of the men who has abused her. She knew she couldn’t, but Sofia can and will beat him.
Celie and Nettie were separated for 30 years. Imagine being beaten, abused and used like a “toilet” and the only somebody who truly loved her was taken away from her. So, she had 30 years of depression, being alone, and wishing that someday she would be reunited with Nettie but that hope died, too. After awhile you don’t feel pain, love, happiness. Nothing but despair and praying God will go ahead and take you away from this life of bondage that he has placed you in.
Remember when Celie leaves she says, “until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble.” And when she is getting in the car, she raises her hand to Mister and says, “everything you done to me, I already done to you.” She cursed him. Not in the way of voodoo, but telling him that his life is going to fall apart until he owns up to what he’s done and he’s going to have to make restitution or live in the darkness that he made her live in. After he pays for getting Nettie and her family back, that weight has been lifted from him.
When Adam and Tashi are being cut in a ritual, it is them actually being circumcised. It’s more brutal for Tashi but that was the only way it could have been shown.
Celie and Shug actually do become lovers. They stay together for the rest of their lives.
All of the African scenes were actually filmed in North Carolina in the U.S.
It didn’t win any Oscars, mostly for politics. First, some of the black community didn’t like that a white, Jewish man was going to direct and produce this book. What would he know about it? 🙄
Quincey Jones is noted as the head score writer, but 12 people were named as writing the score. There’s no way the Academy are giving 12 Oscars for one score. Its major competitor was “Out of Africa”. Meryl Streep was nominated and expected to win if Whoopi didn’t. BUT Geraldine Paige was nominated for “The Trip to Bountiful”. It was her 8th nomination with zero wins, and to be honest, she sincerely deserved it over the other two! Oprah and Margaret Avery were both nominated for Supporting Actress. When that happens, they usually cancel each other out and neither wins. Danny Glover was not nominated because the voting members thought he did too good of a job and showed black men in a bad light. I REALLY disagree with them on that category! If he made you feel that angry, he did his job well.
This film really touches my heart because I was brought up in the same way, except Celie’s family had way more money. They were not poor.
There’s so much more I can talk about but I’ve already made this too long. Thanks for watching.
My advice to reaction host is.... try not to talk to much. This host missed 5 important point's in the movie and if host would allow at least 3 minute's to roll before speaking they would catch a lot more understanding.