In terms of plot, Steven Spielberg stayed true to the novel in his 1985 rendition of The Color Purple. However, because the movie was not in letter format like the novel, viewers miss key insight into the life of Celie. In the novel, readers read Celie's direct thoughts to god and witness how her views change as she ages. Her internal transformation is not as clear in the movie because she does not speak much throughout the film. Additionally, Spielberg does not emphasize Celie's sister Nettie or her correspondence with Celie. In the novel, Nettie's letters detailing her interesting life as an African missionary and very lengthy and detailed. They encompass a large portion of the novel. But in the movie, Nettie's story is given a disproportionate amount of screen time. Overall, this made the sisters' eventual reunion less impactful. Lastly, Spielberg greatly downplays the relationship between Shug Avery and Nettie. In the novel, the women share a much more sexual relationship that what is portrayed in the film. Upon research, it has been found that this was most likely because of societal views on women's sexuality at the time the film was created. In the 1980's, relationships between women were not as socially acceptable as today. Because of this, Steven Spielberg probably restricted their relationship to one scene where the two women kiss. The relationship is not as meaningful as a result, and once again this change renders the movie version less impactful than the book.
This scene from the movie of two sister's reuniting was less impactful because the relationship is less developed than in the novel.
| An interesting interview with director Steven Spielberg that discusses race issues, Whoopi Godberg as Celie, and his personal connection to the movie. |