The Color Purple

US (1985): Drama

Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, D.W. Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable -- from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective "understated" can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards^®, including best picture and actress, it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg, who was not nominated for directing -- when it won none. (Jim Emerson, Amazon.com)

Marsha Norman and Brenda Russell, Allee Willis & Stephen Bray adapted Walker's book and Spieberg's film to the stage. The musical The Color Purple ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2008.

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for The Color Purple on TCM.com.

11 nominations
Tied THE TURNING POINT (1977) for most nominations with no Award.