For Colored Girls directed by Tyler Perry

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‘For Colored Girls’ directed by Tyler Perry is an adaptation of a Tony Award nominated choreopoem written by Ntozake Shange. Clint O’Conner a reviewer for the Plain Dealer writes about Tyler Perry, “He has taken Ntozake Shange’s 1974 choreopoem ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf’ and both condensed and expanded it into a big-screen extravaganza assessing the black female experience in America” (O'Connor 1). ‘For Colored Girls’ is an emotionally charged drama about the struggles facing the modern-day black women finding their voice in America. This master piece with an all-star cast of African-American women will be talked about for years to come. Tyler Perry is at his finest and the ensemble of African-American actresses that he has brought together to portray Ms. Shange’s original cast is amazing. I agree with Peter Debruge when he speaks about Mr. Perry’s work, “ In adapting Ntozake Shange's Tony-nominated play -- a cycle of poetic monologues about abuse, abortion and other issues facing modern black women, rather than a traditional narrative -- the do-it-all auteur demonstrates an ambition beyond any of his previous work” (Debruge 1). Tyler Perry’s film tackles every issue from rape to post traumatic stress disorder with a rhythmic flare that honors the original work by Ms. Shange.

The movie begins by following the lives of eight women whose lives intertwine and intersect in a present day Harlem walk-up. Patrick Ivers, film critic writes “Tyler Perry’s powerful opera of pain and poetry and precious intensity, lyrical lament to rhythms of resentment brings together eight women and their traumatic experiences. They have suffered physical and verbal abuse, abandonment, infidelity, infection, i...

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...s, sister, and brothers together and asking questions.

The soundtrack and poetry that was played, danced to, and recited throughout the scenes in the movie, sent my mind on a journey, that if the picture itself did not touch my heart the sounds would make me move. The images, sounds, words, and colors throughout the movie came together like the colors in a rainbow. ‘For Colored Girls’ gave me the opportunity to step outside my shoes and take a journey that I would have never considered traveling. I realized even though the path may be different and the race may be harder with working together we too can come together like the colors in a rainbow shining through, and out whether any storm. Regardless of what I am going through in life this movie showed me that I am not alone, and often times leaning on someone else’s shoulders will help me overcome any obstacle.

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