The Color Purple 4K UHD Review: The Book Comes to Vivid Life

It’s not quite 40 years since The Color Purple was adapted for screen. But this year’s movie adaptation of the stage musical makes it a good time to get the Spielberg version on 4K UHD.

Spielberg already has a way of transporting viewers into the past. 4K makes that even more vivid. After the opening titles on black screen, the fields of the south with violets appear bright and clear.

Winter nights are shadowed to fully convey the absence of light, practically and metaphorically. The different seasons convey light snow, frosty windows, hot dirt and lush green fields. The juke joint has deep pockets of shadow inside and up in the rafters, and the women wear sparkly red dresses to perform or dance there.

It appears the last time there were bonus features for The Color Purple was standard definition DVD era, but they got Spielberg and author Alice Walker then. The digital copy does include a feature on the making of the new movie.