Control of Sentimentalism in Cinematic Adaptation of Fiction: A Comparative Analysis of Steven Spielberg’s Film on the Novel The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

Abstract

Sentimentalism, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a tendency to have or express feelings of love, sadness, etc., especially in a way that seems foolish or excessive”. The Color Purple by Alice Walker that won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1982 is well known for its sentimentalism in relating the tragic story of its heroin Celie. Celie, initially abused by her stepfather and later by her husband, cultivates resilience and ultimately declares her identity as an independent woman. The tragic circumstances under which Celie makes her journey to freedom do not prevent the narration from being sentimental in the depiction of the numerous pathetic situations. The popularity achieved by the novel led to the adaptation of it as the movie ‘The color purple’, under the direction of Steven Spielberg in 1990. Like the novel, the movie is also attacked by some critics for being over sentimental. This paper analyses whether Alice Walker can spare sentimentalism in her portrayal of the reality behind the black society she deals with and whether Steven Spielberg can do so in doing justice to the novel in his cinematic re-creation. When reality is being starkly portrayed as reality, is it possible to tone down the style, in fear of criticisms on the basis of its result of sentimentalism? The paper attempts to answer this question. Sentimentalism plays a major role in determining the success of cinematic representation of a literary text. This research is designed to analyze whether the movie, ‘The Color Purple’ directed by Steven Spielberg has been over flavored with sentiments and how this additionally added flavor of sentiments helps to emotionally reach the audience.