Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) is a southern black woman virtually sold into a life of servitude to a brutal husband, sharecropper Albert (Danny Glover). Celie pours out her innermost thoughts in letters to her sister Nettie (Akousa Busia), but Albert has been hiding the return correspondence making Celie believe she's dead. Finally, Celie finds champions in her daughter-in-law, the take-no-shit Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) and the glamorous Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), a local entertainer.

Up until Steven Spielberg produced and directed this film, he was more known for "popular" cinematic titles such as Jaws, Indiana Jones< and E.T and he hadn't had to deal with meaty subjects such as rape, incest, and woman's rights. Ultimately the film received 11 Academy Award nominations (winning none) and Spielberg proved he was up for the challenge and went on to become one of the best director's of his generation.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Detail wavers from scene to scene
• Lifelike color palette
• Close-ups are very detailed
• Veil of film grain

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Front-loaded presentation
• Suitable ambience from the rear speakers
• Intelligible dialog
• Engaging score

For the most part, the video encode is very good although there are a few scenes that appear somewhat flat and lifeless in the first act. The audio presentation conveys the story but doesn't possess any demo-worthy moments.

Bonus Materials br>

• Digibook packaging (44 pages)
• Three behind-the-scenes featurettes
• "The Color Purple: The Musical"
• Two photo galleries

If you're in the mood for a lighthearted drama, this isn't the film to watch. It's deals with uncomfortable situations such as rape, incest, and spousal abuse but the payoff in the end is worth the angst you'll feel in the first two acts. The presentation is quite good and the 44-page book contains lots of information about the historical significance of the film. Recommended for fans.

Release Date: January 25, 2011
Studio: Warner

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 7/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS40 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics