Color Purple '85: Celie as Unreliable Narrator?
Okay, so I just rewatched The Color Purple (1985), and something's been nagging at me. We're so used to seeing Celie as the victim, and rightfully so, but what if we're only seeing her perspective... and it's a little skewed? Hear me out. Think about the early scenes. Celie's narration is childlike, almost naive. We're presented with Albert (Mister) as purely evil, but is that entirely true? I'm not saying he's good, but the movie kinda glosses over his own potential trauma and the societal pressures he's under. Could Celie, in her young, abused state, be simplifying complex relationships into black and white? The scene where Shug Avery arrives and essentially shakes everything up...is that REALLY how it went down, or is it filtered through Celie's eyes, making Shug even more of a savior figure than she actually was in reality? I know, I know, it sounds like I'm victim-blaming, and that's NOT what I'm trying to do. It's more about the movie's narrative structure. It's Celie's story, told from her POV. But that doesn't necessarily make it objective truth. Maybe that's why the ending, while emotionally satisfying, always felt a little too neat to me. Everyone gets their redemption (sort of), but it's all painted with Celie's brush. Thoughts?
Comments (5)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!