Commentary on “For Colored Girls”

Nearly 48 hours later, there are images and scenes from Mr. Tyler Perry’s movie “For Colored Girls” still forcing their way into and through my psyche.  At moments during the film, I watched the screen wanting but unable to tear my eyes away from the terror that I was witnessing.  I couldn’t look away for a number of reasons, the primary one being that looking away felt like a betrayal to the stories and very essence of the women on screen.  At other times, I felt that there were no words descriptive enough to do justice to what was being brilliantly portrayed by a commanding and all-star ensemble cast.  Now, somewhat removed from the film (if only by the passage of time) I can attempt to find some form of vocabulary  to describe the experience that is this must-see movie:  Powerful.  Painful.  Poetic.  Haunting.  Heartbreaking.  Inspiring.  Frightening.  And, most of all LASTING. 

“For Colored Girls” is not a film that you can view and simply leave behind at the theater.  You may not know it, but there’s an implied consent (and a thick, gritty residue that’s difficult to wash away) that you agree to take on as you hand over the fee for the price of admission.  No, you will not and cannot see this movie and forget it.  Its actors won’t let you.  Its director and screenwriter, Mr. Tyler Perry, won’t let you.  Its heroines, or storyline, or images simply Will. Not. Let. You.  I haven’t read the original work "For colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf," by Ntozake Shange, but I am adding it to my reading list without delay.

“For Colored Girls” lifts the veil and pulls the heavy drapes away from not-always-known or ever-easy-to-discuss stories of individual women on topics including rape, domestic violence, abortion, promiscuity, sexuality, and what can be one of life’s heaviest burdens—expectation.  “For Colored Girls” reminds us, on many levels, to check ourselves before placing judgment upon anyone else’s choices, demeanor, or lifestyle.  As a writer, I’m always compelled to ask or wonder, “What is your story?” particularly when developing characters.  “For Colored Girls” teaches us that this question—What is your story?—is essential to everyday life for we never know what has shaped an individual into who she (or he) is (or in some cases, isn't).  This is one of “For Colored Girls’” primary messages.

Monday morning’s news reports rank “For Colored Girls” at number 3 at the box office with weekend ticket sales totaling $20.1 million.  I’m forced to wonder how much the title had to do with that.  Granted, “For Colored Girls” is not by any account a lighthearted movie suitable for youngsters or families looking to take their children to the movies but more so a universal, far-reaching, soul-stirring experience that everyone (men included) should see.  “For Colored Girls” is not simply for women and girls of color but for every woman and every girl.  Period.  “For Colored Girls” is about the pain, struggle, and resilience that join together to weave the fabric of life and I can’t think of anything more human than that.  Men (who I must warn are not positively portrayed in the movie with perhaps but one exception) should see “For Colored Girls” as a primer on how not to be and to gain insight on many of the struggles, burdens, and secrets carried and kept by their mothers, sisters, wives, significant others, and daughters—women who have seen and endured the worst but managed to keep pressing on for themselves and their families.

So, whether you consider yourself a so-called colored girl, a sister girl, or any other type of girl, whether you are a brother, check those little boxes that define you as Other, or consider yourself another I implore you to join in an experience—a human experience—that you will not soon forget.   Check out “For Colored Girls”.

~NDJ