Review: For Colored Girls Movie and Audiobook
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I had the opportunity to see For Colorded Girls last weekend at a movie viewing party. The little boy in this movie adaptation of the choro-poem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, goes to my church and I am friends with his parents. So seeing this movie had multiple meanings for me. I must say the little star did an excellent job.
My Thoughts About the Movie (Condensed)
If I could describe the movie in one word it would be, Intense. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride throughout the entire movie. I would also call it thought-provoking and sad in many ways. I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about this film from loved it, hated it, and everything in between.
Other Reviews
The loved it group, in my estimation, would be the Tyler Perry fans who simply loves everything he puts out or at least touches. They are entitled and I’m glad they get joy out of his productions.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the “hated it” group. They range from angry men to fed-up women who hate anything Tyler Perry puts out. I won’t go into all the commentary I’ve been reading, but I’ll just say there are some very strong reactions.
The Book of Poems
I think it’s sad that such an important piece of art has become such a point of contention. I had not read the poem prior to seeing the movie but I had the opportunity to hear the audiobook (now at Audible.com), read by Thandie Newton late last week. Ms. Newton did an excellent job reading the poem and bringing this important piece to life through her voice.
My Review of the Audiobook
At first I was thrown off by the structure. Each part of the poem was prefaced with the name/color of the speaker followed by the words they spoke. It seemed to take away from the flow, but it is a poem, not necessarily a traditional book.
The content of the poems were very moving and deeply meaningful. Some parts, like the movie, were very intense. I would love to see the stage play on this work to see the production the way it was written.
I wonder what my reaction to the film adaptation would have been if I had read the poem first. I tend to hate the movie after reading the book because so many pieces seem to be missing. Other reviewers who had read the poem several times before got that feeling and didn’t have too many good things to say about the movie.
My Recommendation
I think the acting by such a talented cast made the movie a must-see event. They all played their parts with such intensity that every fiber of my being felt every sigh they breathed and tear they cried.
The issues of domestic violence, AIDS, infertility (caused by sexually transmitted diseases, and PSTD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) were addressed in raw detail. Some would say it is a male-bashing poem and film; I can see why they would say this. The poem was written by a feminist so there would be feminist themes, but it does not deter from the very real issues and experiences many women face each day.
The poem and the film are worth the read. I think it will make a lot of women re-think their choices and help men see how women are affected by the decision they (men) make that fail to take into consideration the people around them that they claim to love.
Samantha Gregory
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Bravo Samantha. Bravo! I wasn’t aware there was an audiobook, I might have to check that out. I too, had not read the poem or seen the play before seeing the movie, but I greatly appreciated the movie for the issues that were on display, and for the poetic way they were delivered. It was tragically beautiful, and although some folks are finding the content of the film hard to swallow, as you pointed out, the fact that the issues addressed are very real issues and are still a daily part of the lives of women, making sure this is never forgotten is a must.
Very good post.