‘The Color Purple’ Artisans Explain How a Giant, 22-Foot Gramophone Helped Transport Audiences Into Celie’s Imagination
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “The Color Purple” director Blitz Bazawule hesitated to take on the latest incarnation of Alice Walker’s sacred text.
However, when he revisited the book, the first line (“Dear God, I’m 14 years old”) struck him as a way to navigate a familiar story and “keep expanding Celie’s imagination.” In the new musical movie adaptation, as Celie (Fantasia Barrino) is bathing Shug (Taraji P.
Henson), an old record plays on a gramophone in the background. But as the camera zooms in, the record player becomes a stage for Celie to express herself and her emotions.
In a two-hour storyboard video film, the director had pre-visualized how Celie’s imagination would be integral to every aspect of bringing “The Color Purple” back to life.
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