The truth is, I had never read For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
I never saw it performed on stage. I knew it was important but I didn’t know first hand. So, I really had no right to assume that TP would mess it up.
Except for the fact that I am familiar with his body of work. It follows a certain formula. It’s very “on the surface”. His characters have no depth and I had no reason to believe that all of a sudden he would change his formula when he tackled For Colored Girls.
I did not see the movie and actually do not plan to. But I still thought that maybe I was being unfair with my assessment. So I went to B&N over the weekend and spent my $10 and bought the book. I ordered my chai tea latte and read the 64 pages and was blown away. Beautifully written. Vivid and imaginative. Heart wrenching. Scary. The words jumped off the page and they didn't need to be interpreted on the big screen. It was all that.
I walked out of B&N with my head a little higher, my shoulders a little straighter and my mind much clearer.
I still won’t spend my money to see the movie but at least now I know why.
Except for the fact that I am familiar with his body of work. It follows a certain formula. It’s very “on the surface”. His characters have no depth and I had no reason to believe that all of a sudden he would change his formula when he tackled For Colored Girls.
I did not see the movie and actually do not plan to. But I still thought that maybe I was being unfair with my assessment. So I went to B&N over the weekend and spent my $10 and bought the book. I ordered my chai tea latte and read the 64 pages and was blown away. Beautifully written. Vivid and imaginative. Heart wrenching. Scary. The words jumped off the page and they didn't need to be interpreted on the big screen. It was all that.
I walked out of B&N with my head a little higher, my shoulders a little straighter and my mind much clearer.
I still won’t spend my money to see the movie but at least now I know why.
3 comments:
Wow. I saw my first glimpse of the play when I was in high school and college. I can't imagine not having seen it. I'm glad you enjoyed the book.
I read it in college and wrote a paper but I don't remember anything about the play. I've been wanting to read it again before I see the film adaptation. For some odd reason, I feel compelled to see the movie.
Ive never read the book either...it is in my Amazon queue
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