Every year, several Hollywood studios release films on Christmas Day that they hope will be in the running for the Oscars a few months later. Expected on December 25, The Color Purple (The color purple) constitutes such a scenario. Produced, among others, by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, who revealed the first in his 1985 film based on Alice Walker’s novel, this version is not a remake. Rather, it is an adaptation of the Broadway show created in 2005, and also co-produced by the woman who bears one of the most famous first names there is. During an emotional virtual conference, the American icon and his female cast return to the importance of this story of resilience.
For the record, the story is set in Georgia, in a rural area, in the early 1900s, and tells the story of Celie’s difficult existence. We follow this self-effacing woman who endures everything, even the unbearable, from childhood to the dawn of fifty. Among her few friends, there is the exuberant Sofia who delivers blow for blow.
In 1985, her unforgettable portrayal of Sofia earned Oprah Winfrey an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
“I’ve never wanted something so much in my entire life,” Oprah recalls of Sofia’s role in the videoconference event The duty was able to attend.
“Just as I was letting go, I got the call from Steven Spielberg. And I let that attitude guide me throughout my life […] The Color Purple simply changed my trajectory. Because then came The Oprah Winfrey Show and all that, and it was in the wake of The Color Purple. »
With fervor, Oprah continues: “I am convinced that this is a work touched, inspired and embraced by divine grace. Alice Walker, who wrote it, came as one, but she speaks for 10,000.”
Free in his mind
After playing Celie on stage in 2007-2008 (and succeeding Whoopi Goldberg in the cinema), Fantasia Barrino returns to the role on the big screen. However, she almost missed her turn, she reveals.
Indeed, the similarities between her journey and that of the protagonist provoked painful reminiscences in her.
“I was so young when I was offered to play Celie on Broadway. At that time, my life was in ruins, she recalls. I keep saying I carried my cross. And it was very, very heavy. I had the impression that the story [de Celie] looked a lot like mine. But I knew people needed to hear his story. What if I could be the vehicle to make that happen… So I had to embrace that, but it wasn’t easy. So when I was done, I swore I would never return to this role, because of the similarities between Celie and me. »
So much so that, prestige or not, the actress and singer declined the offer to star in the film adaptation of the show.
“But then I spoke with my mother, who is my best friend, with my husband, then with God,” says Fantasia Barrino. And I understood that for this generation, I had to be a vehicle again, to show all these young girls and women who have experienced the same things as Celie and me, that they are seen [et non invisibles] and that they can get out of it; that there is healing and a future possible. You don’t have to remain stagnant in what you’ve experienced. You can forgive and move on. »
“Forgive for yourself,” notes Oprah, specifying that this absolutely does not imply reconnecting with your tormentor.
In the film, Celie also finds refuge in thought, where her incestuous father, then her violent husband, cannot reach her.
“When Celie is oppressed, she feels free in her spirit. She dances and imagines she is somewhere else. I was like that, in my own life,” confides Fantasia Barrino.
These fantasy passages are an idea of the director, Blitz Bazawule.
” You must know that The Color Purple is a sacred text which, incredibly, is a source of healing – of profound healing – for many people: we do not adapt it lightly,” he maintains.
“So I was very clear that if we didn’t have anything new to say, it was best to abstain. It took me a while to see it clearly, despite Marcus’ brilliant script. [Gardley]. Finally, I went back to the source, to Alice Walker’s novel, and I found what I was looking for. First page, first words: “Dear God”. And I knew right away that anyone who writes letters to God must have a vivid imagination. By developing and giving voice to this imagination, we could contribute to this brilliant universe. »
As the director adds, the original story continues to resonate today: “Everything from misogynistic violence to discrimination based on sexual orientation to discrimination based on skin color… This are things we always have to face. »
Telling our story
When it’s her turn, Taraji P. Henson, the interpreter of Shug, a flamboyant bisexual cabaret singer, agrees with everything that has been said before. However, it adds a fundamental clarification.
“You know, I’ve been doing this for a while, and a moment like this is very rare in a career: it’s a moment where our stories are our own. I’ve been a part of successes, but never before have we spoken our truth like here. »
Choking back a sob, the star of Hidden Figures (Shadow figures) and the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) continues by paying tribute to those who surround her during the conference: her “Circle of Sisters” united by common life experiences as black women.
“This world beats us and oppresses us, tells us that we cannot, that we are ugly, that our hair is this or that, that we are too black or not black enough… With this project, we had this opportunity to make what we love to do while being free to create. Therefore, I just… wanted to do it right. I just wanted to inspire these babies alongside me, because…”
After an emotional pause, Taraji P. Henson continues: “I’ve been doing this for two decades, and this is the first time… This is the first time that we can really tell our story with such beauty and such elegance. . »
Words approved by Oprah Winfrey, who is of the opinion that this new adaptation of The Color Purple comes at the right time, as the world is in great need of healing, according to her.
“I think the film will reach people in unexpected places. It is the pinnacle of what art can do when it is done well, when it is inspired by a divine hand and that divine hand has inspired everyone involved. We feel the triumph. Each of us feels triumphant to be able to be part of the experience. »
A triumph that Oprah Winfrey fervently wants the public to feel as well.
The comments collected have been edited for brevity and clarity. The film The Color Purple hits theaters on December 25.