“My name is Blitz Bazawule. And I’m the director of “The Color Purple.” [SNAPPING] “So this scene is where Shug Avery, played by the incredible Taraji P. Henson, performs at the juke joint for the very first time. Her character is enigmatic. We’ve always heard about her. And we don’t We hadn’t seen her perform yet, so Dan Laustsen, my cinematographer, and I knew that this was a moment that would have to be recorded in the audience’s mind as a coming out moment, of sorts. My production designer, Paul Austerberry, also really suggested that we do this practically and not on stage. And so we found a swamp that we had to drain. It takes two months to empty and two months to fill . But we gutted it to build the actual juke joint. And so what you see is Shug is actually performing at a juke joint on site. And what was special was also that This gave my choreographer, the incredible Fatima Robinson, the opportunity to really shine. And it took us about two weeks of rehearsals to find the blocking needed. A lot would happen. A lot of storytelling was going to happen. And a lot of bodies were going to move in that space. “(SINGING) Press the button.” “(SINGING) Press the button.” “(SINGING) Press the button.” “It was very important that the blocking was correct. It was also very important that we gave Taraji the opportunity to shine at that time. In fact, she sang the song herself. It is not doubled. It’s actually his voice. She took singing lessons to make sure she understood. And it was amazing because everything was believable for her in space, performing that song in real time. That’s when it gets special, when the lights go out. And we find ourselves in the dark. Now, for me, it’s a moment that also allows the dance break to be a special moment. The song is a bit long. So we knew we didn’t want the audience to be sitting in a redundant setup. So, I remember arriving a day much early for the shoot. And the lights were…the environmental lights were on. And the blue light started to shine through. I said to myself, I think that’s it. If we can move from light to darkness that way. I think we might have something special. “Ooh, it’s not over yet, y’all.” “Now, ladies.” “What?” “I need you to work a little harder, okay?” “The other thing that was special about that moment was the end, when we find out that Shug Avery actually chose Celie and not Mister. So there was a lot of storytelling. Even though it’s about a big dance number, there’s still a lot of narration. So by the time we find out that she sort of made that choice, it’s too late for Monsieur. Monsieur was waiting. He spent all this time s ‘expect Shug Avery to come to him at the end of this performance. And he would be the beneficiary of all this wonder that has happened. And somehow she sneaks past him and directs towards Celie. And it’s a great emotional, romantic moment in this film. And I think it was really special. And I love the look on Colman’s face when he directs. It’s like, wow, all for nothing. [CHEERS]
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