• Director(s)

    Steven Spielberg

  • Production Year

    1986

  • Approx. running minutes

    147m

  • Cast

    Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Desreta Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Leonard Jackson, Bennet Guillory, Laurence Fishburne

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Film

The Color Purple

Contains references to child sexual abuse

Adaptation of Alice Walker novel which follows a black woman's life in the US in the early 20th century. While the film's message is ultimately uplifting, it deals with difficult issues including sexual and physical abuse.…

Adaptation of Alice Walker novel which follows a black woman's life in the US in the early 20th century. While the film's message is ultimately uplifting, it deals with difficult issues including sexual and physical abuse.

Content Advice(May contain spoilers)

violence

threat and horror

language

sex

discrimination

sexual violence and sexual threat

injury detail

alcohol and smoking

  • Director(s)

    Steven Spielberg

  • Production Year

    1986

  • Approx. running minutes

    147m

  • Cast

    Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Desreta Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Leonard Jackson, Bennet Guillory, Laurence Fishburne

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Classified Date:
10/04/1986
Version:
2D
Use:
Cinema
Distributor:
Columbia-Emi-Warner Dists Ltd
Contains references to child sexual abuse
Classified Date:
08/02/1996
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media + VOD/Streaming
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
violence
There are scenes of domestic violence, including a man hitting his wife, as well as verbal references to this. There are more straightforward scenes of fighting involving punches, kicks and blows.
threat and horror
Characters threaten each other.
language
There is use of moderate bad language, including 'whore' and 'slut', as well as milder terms including 'shit'.
sex
There are a number of verbal references to sexual behaviour, such as to a person's legs always being 'open', as well as a sexual scene between a husband and wife in which the woman appears distressed. There is no nudity and the impression of sexual activity is conveyed only by the bed moving.
discrimination
There is use of discriminatory language, including the 'n' word, as well as depictions of racist attitudes and behaviour, in keeping with the period in which the film is set.
sexual violence and sexual threat
The central character is raped by her father when she is a child and becomes pregnant as a result. While the incest is not visually depicted, there are verbal references to what happened. There is a scene of attempted rape, in which a man pulls a woman into a bush, although she manages to fight him off and rape does not occur. There is also a sequence in which a man lies on top of his teenage wife, apparently having sex with her. The woman looks very uncomfortable and the scene appears non consensual. It is not a visually detailed scene and there is no nudity, with the activity indicated by sight of the bed moving.
injury detail
There is some sight of bruising and injuries after violence.
alcohol and smoking
Adult characters smoke and drink.
Classified Date:
28/05/1987
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
31/03/2003
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
31/03/2003
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
26/03/2003
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
19/06/1998
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
19/06/1998
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Classified Date:
31/03/2003
Version:
2D
Use:
Physical media
Distributor:
Warner Home Video Ltd
Paperwork Remarks:
DVD additional material

  • Classified date

    08/02/1996

  • BBFC reference

    CVF058339

  • Language

    English