(Shot by Shot)
This is "Celie's Liberation" scene from the Color Purple. The scene opens with a shot of a plate setting at a dinner table with people talking and dishes knocking in the background. The next shot shows people talking and adding food from the table to their plate. That shot is then followed by a wide shot, which is used as the establishing shot. The camera then cuts to Shug Avery and Albert conversing. The image above is the first shot of their conversation. The lighting is deem and partially dismal to acquaint the audience with the mood and emotion to come. The light selection was also used to adequately portray lighting in the early 1900's.
In the mid-shot above Shug Avery leans in to Albert or "Mister" that she is getting ready to leave town and that she is taking Celie with her.
"Now comes the time for me to tell you, its time for us to go."
Albert doesn't understand why Celie wants to go with Shug so he says, " Now whats wrong wit cha?" The camera slowly zooms in enough between Shug and Albert to get Celie in focus in the middle of the shot.
Celie replies, "You a low down dirty dog, that's whats wrong. Its time for me to get away from you and into creation." In this close-up shot Albert looks at Celie in disbelief. He cant believe that she is standing up to him.
This is a weird mid shot used during Celie's spill about getting away from Albert where she says, "Your dead body will be just the welcome I need."
In this medium close-up the dad chimes in and says, "You cant talk to my boy that way." Notice that Albert and his father are both sitting at the head of the table, which is an inclination of power and authority.
Celie responds, "Your BOY? Seems like if he hadnt been your boy he would have made somewhat half a decent man." The lighting on Albert is bright enough to frame him as a subject in the shot, while also keeping Celie in a close up.
This close up with little to no head room shows Albert still in disbelief (giggles) "Say what?"
"You took my sister Nettie away from me. You knew she was the only somebody in the world who loved me" In this low angled two-shot with natural light striking from the window, Celie explains to Albert that she is aware of his tactics and that she isn't going to stand for it anymore.
Close up of Albert looking ashamed.
Close up of Shug with an expression of joy for Celie.
Back to the two shot. "And Nettie and my kids coming home soon. And when we all get together we gone sit around and whoop your ass."
Cuts to close up of dinner guest laughing at Celie's comment.
"Nettie. Your kids. Woman you talking crazy." Albert waves her comment of as trivial and unbelievable. Close up.
Medium close up of Celie's head held high when she assures Albert that she has children. "Oh I got children. My children living in Africa."
Albert feeling embarrassed and intimidated. Close up.
Medium wide shot and somewhat of a over-the-shoulder shot used to show all of the guests at the table, and to get Sophia at the table with her head hung low. Celie assures Albert that her children gone turn out, "a heap better than these fools you never tried to raise." In an attempt to defend himself, Harpo interjects and tells Celie to "hold on here."
Celie cuts him off, "No hold on Harpo." Close up of her confidently standing up to Albert's disrespectful and "rotten" son.
Close up of Shug's approval and admiration for Celie.
Back to medium close up of 'Paw' adjusting his glasses because he can't believe his eyes.
In a two-shot Celie continues her speech and tells Harpo that the kids made her life living there hell.
And my favorite line out of the entire movie is when Celie musters up enough courage to look Albert straight in the eyes and tell him, "he ain't nothing but some dead horse shit."
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