The Color Purple

Although the combination of his sensibilities and Miss Walker's amounts to a colossal mismatch, Mr. Spielberg's Color Purple manages to have momentum, warmth and staying power all the same. Full Review

In the end, through mawkish direction that includes ludicrous sequences of wild animals in Africa transposed from the novel but made silly by visual literalness, and a completely inappropriate musical number combining a juke joint blues singer with a gospel choir, The Color Purple disintegrates into Steven Spielberg's biggest commercial and artistic failure. [20 Dec 1985] Full Review

There are many scenes in The Color Purple that are strong and affecting. They do not, however, compensate for the often hackneyed vision of domestic humor, the overreaching for artsiness, the rambling final 20 minutes or so in which Mr. Spielberg subjects us to the sight of hordes of blacks leaving the sinful confines of a jazz club and heading off to church, having already been overcome by a joyous fit of gospel singing. [19 Dec 1985] Full Review

The Color Purple is the year's best film. Full Review

For the film's existence alone we can be grateful, and it contains at least three memorable performances, but the transition has been at a harrowing cost to the tone and scale and even the underlying theme of Alice Walker's book. [18 Dec 1985] Full Review