To wrap up Black History Month, I wanted to watch another movie that I've heard about multiple times. I have no idea what it's really about, but I know it has Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg. I know it's an intense movie, but not why. It's mentioned with serious tone conveying the strength of the subject of the film, but I can't remember what they've said about it. I know this won't be an easy film, especially after having just watched Schindler's List, but these serious films are just as important for me to watch, if not more so, than the funny ones and the action filled ones. Sometimes the hard subjects are more meaningful and need to be faced head no matter how heavy they might get. I've also heard that this has been turned into a Broadway musical more recently, so it's subject matter is coming back into the light after almost 30 years. I guess it's time for me to find out exactly what this movie is all about, then.
What a common asshole, bringing another woman home for his wife to care for
At least he finally did right by her.
This is definitely a movie that pulls at your heart strings. You feel for Celie and her loss of her entire life. She's constantly berated and used by everyone around her, except for her sister. A bond between sisters can be incredibly strong and in their case it's the strongest you can have. There were many times I felt sad for Celie and everything she had been dealt in her life. She was a second choice, she never felt wanted, never felt loved. It's an interesting story, looking back on our history and how lives could be changed so easily. In the early part of the century, a teen being impregnated by her father and carrying two children to term could be kept from everyone else so easily because they lived on a farm, the girls didn't go to school and no one saw them to know. She wasn't looked down upon in town for being "spoiled," though she didn't get an easy treatment because of the color of her skin. Even the refined woman who adopted Celie's children wasn't treated kindly by a store owner. You're given a glimpse into the lives of people, especially people of color, in an era of strong racism and extreme poverty. It's crazy to think that some of these situations were considered commonplace in the early 20th century.
I almost think this movie would have fit better in my Women's History Month category of movies since this really shows just how much women's lives were controlled by men in these eras. They were basically sold to the man that their father thought would benefit the family the most. They got no say unless their father cared about what they wanted. It was obvious that Celie's father cared nothing for her despite the fact that he kept causing her to have children. That was also another highly calculated thing he did. He knew his "pretty daughter" was going to need to be "unspoiled" to give her the best options of men out there. Celie was more a means to an end for a husband, so it didn't matter if she was "broken in." What a horrible way for women to live in the early 20th century. No wonder the Suffragettes pushed as hard as they did for rights and change. There were far too many things that didn't even change for many more decades.
This movie definitely takes you on a journey and you see that Celie doesn't get much of a chance to grow as a person until her later years. Even when Shug kisses her, she gets a childlike innocent smile on her face, showing that under her age, she is still just a child looking to feel special and important to someone other than her sister. Celie is basically beaten down her entire life to be more demure and more subdued. She's supposed to be seen, not heard (a similar mindset placed on children), she's supposed to follow orders and never question them, just make the food, clean the house and care for the children. This is a mindset that has affected women, even to this day. Women are taught that they talk too much, that they shouldn't be demanding of others when it comes to their own preferences and when it comes to their time in their lives and what they spend it on. It has finally started to drift away from that now that my generation is having kids and teaching their kids to not accept that stereotype and to push back against those who would try to force them into a demure position. My generation has had to live through it themselves growing up and have also seen how it should never be that way again. Women are a strong force in this world and we have plenty to give to it. We didn't have as many advocates in the early 20th century, so people like Celie got pushed around and had no way to fight back and no one to stand up for her. She isn't a fighter, she's much more of a nurturer instead.
I was highly impressed with Sofia's character (played by Oprah Winfrey) because she had a husband who thought he had to keep his wife in line and she stood up to him, refusing to bow to his fists. She also had a large family of strong women to support her and she was raised to stick up for herself, to know her worth and value and to not allow others to walk all over her. In some ways, this was to her own detriment, as in the case when she cursed at a high ranking white male, refusing to work for his wife. She was beaten by a mob of white men and wound up working for the woman anyway after some time in jail. Her entire life is dedicated to this woman for years after this incident. She spends so much time with this family that she doesn't even get to see her own. It's crazy to think that someone could spend so much time away from their family like that. I don't understand how she was never even given a few days off a year to go home and visit her children at the holidays, at the least. I guess she was considered more of an indentured servant as opposed to a house maid, so she wouldn't have had the same freedoms. It's incredibly sad, though.
Shug was an interesting character, as well. She was the woman that Celie's husband adored above all others, but one he could never attain. Celie tells her at one point that she feels that Albert has always wished that he could have married Shug and that one of the most basic reasons that he beats Celie is that she wasn't who he wanted. "He beat me for not being you." Woah. That was a heavy statement. It hit hard. It is a unique friendship they create, being wife and mistress. It's incredibly telling just how Celie feels about her marriage that she's actually happier when her husband's mistress is around because he is actually on his best behavior and he doesn't beat her. It also tells just how much women had to stick together in those days. If not for the support of other women, there are many that would have probably just given up and been miserable. Having someone to stand with you and help you get through the hard times gives you a strength you didn't know you had. Shug winds up being the key to her freedom, too. She takes Celie out of her situation and helps her to find the missing connection to her sister. She has hope and something to look forward to. She uses her skills learned to become a seamstress that makes clothing for the town. For a woman to be a store owner in those days was unusual, but the fact that she was also black would have been even more impressive. She really blossomed after escaping her marriage and I was glad to see it. She deserved a bit of happiness in her sad life.
Celie's bond with her sister was one of the best things in this movie. No matter how far the distance, no matter how long the separation, they always thought of each other in the highest regard and would wish the best for each other in their lives. I definitely cried at their reunion. It was heartwarming and emotional to watch and I felt myself get swept up in their happiness at seeing each other. I was incredibly confused that the children she was caring for didn't learn English. Being raised by an American family, even in another country, wouldn't English be the primary language at home and the African language they learned be what they used in public? I know that it's the reverse here in the states with some families where English isn't their first language. It's far easier to teach them two languages at a young age and have them remember more of it than in their later years and to be able to speak it more fluently. It was a nice ending to the movie that makes you feel like she finally got the happiness she struggled for her entire life. I was also glad that it was Albert who made the connection for them and brought Nettie home to Celie. It was about time he did right by her. He finally got his issues under control and found a way to make peace with his past actions against her. The fact that he didn't even ask for credit for it was what touched me most. It is definitely a selfless act if you aren't asking for credit and thanks for the deed and that was the only way that he could have gained back some positive karma in his life. Lord knows he needed it!
If you haven't seen this movie yet, it is definitely worthwhile to watch and Women's History Month would be the perfect time for it, but Black History Month would be a close second. That's if you needed a reason to actually turn it on and not just talk about seeing it some day. Funny how I watched this movie for Black History Month and saved The Help for March and I really felt that I should have switched the two. I'll explain why more in my next post for the latter movie. Stay tuned!
For more movie love, check out my other blog, "You're Watching That Again?!"
