Purple Rain (1984) Warner Bros./Musical-Drama RT: 111 minutes Rated R (language, domestic violence, nudity, sexual content, explicit lyrics, thematic elements) Director: Albert Magnoli Screenplay: Albert Magnoli and William Blinn Music: Michel Colombier Cinematography: Donald E. Thorin Release date: July 27, 1984 (US) Cast: Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Jerome Benton, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III, Billy Sparks, Jill Jones, The Revolution (Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Brown Mark, Matt “Doctor” Fink, Bobby Z.), The Time (Jesse Johnson, Paul Peterson, Gerald E. Hubbard Jr., Mark Cardenas, Garry “Jellybean” Johnson). Box Office: $70.3M (US)
Rating: *** ½
On stage, Prince is an electrifying performer. His songs and movements are highly sexually charged. I’ve never been to one of his concerts. Judging by what’s on display in the musical drama Purple Rain, the man puts on a hell of a show.
Prince plays a Minneapolis nightclub singer simply known as “The Kid” who, on a good day, is merely arrogant and vain. He performs at the First Avenue Club with his band The Revolution. Like many artists, Kid’s a control freak. He wants to be the sole creative genius behind the music. He won’t even listen to a song written by bandmates Wendy and Lisa. The club owner (Sparks) has had it with the singer’s self-indulgent performances. The audience doesn’t like it either.
Kid’s main rival is Morris Day (as himself), a conceited womanizer who never goes anywhere without his sidekick Jerome (Benton). He’s fiercely competitive with Kid. Their long-standing rivalry is about to come to a head over the new talent in town, a gorgeous young singer named Apollonia (Kotero) looking for her first big break.
Kid’s home life is nothing short of a nightmare. He still lives in his parents’ basement where he listens as his bitter father (Williams, The Mod Squad) regularly beats the hell out of his way too patient and understanding mother (Karlatos, Zombie). Apollonia initially finds herself attracted to the mysterious Kid, but he has way too many personal demons to think of anybody but himself. She then hooks up with Day who makes her the frontwoman for his new band, Apollonia 6. Needless to say, Kid doesn’t react to the news well.
The main dramatic conflict of Purple Rain concerns Kid’s efforts to not end up like his father, angry and self-destructive over his failed music career. He hates his dad for the way he treats his mother, but he expresses anger towards Apollonia is a similar manner for her perceived betrayal. It’s a vicious cycle that he’d like to stop. The psychology in Purple Rain is markedly but unsurprisingly superficial. It doesn’t take a psych major to recognize Kid’s demons are holding him back professionally and preventing him from gaining the fame his extraordinary talent deserves. His rocky relationship with his dad is interesting even if it lacks any real depth.
Of course, if the makers did bother to explore the movie’s deep psychological themes, Purple Rain probably would have been a drag for Prince’s fans that came for the music. On that front, it blows the roof right off the theater. It’s easily one of the very best soundtracks of the 80s. It yielded several hits including “When Doves Cry”, “Let’s Go Crazy” and the title song. When the Purple One performs, the movie takes on a life of its own. He’s the most thrilling performer since Elvis, especially when he’s doing overtly sexual numbers like “Darling Nikki”.
The musical numbers, the heart and soul of Purple Rain, are all great, even the ones NOT by Prince. Morris Day and the Time’s “Jungle Love” is a fun number injected with humor centered on Day’s vanity. About midway through the song, Jerome steps on stage with a mirror so Day can check his hair. They are the movie’s true comic relief (for the most part anyway). They also personify the misogynistic tone that runs throughout the movie. Day often refers to women as “bitches”. He’s so full of himself; he can’t even be bothered to tell an ex-lover to get lost. Instead, he has Jerome pick her up and deposit her in a nearby trash dumpster. In the movie’s most famous scene, Kid tricks Apollonia into jumping into a cold lake before riding off on his purple motorcycle leaving her cold, naked and stranded. It’s a paradox when you consider most of Prince’s fans are female.
ANYWAY, the great music and lively numbers eclipse the drama which is rather formulaic with its misunderstood artist as rising star, troubled father-son relationship and two guys fighting over the same girl plotlines. It’s okay because it’s merely framework for what is essentially an extended music video. The dramatic scenes are merely a bridge between musical numbers. Albert Magnoli, the guy behind the 1986 stinker American Anthem, directs Purple Rain with great style and flair. It may even be overstylized. The flashy cinematography and editing are a good fit. Aesthetically, it’s a sight to behold.
Prince delivers the best performance of his brief acting career in Purple Rain. Granted, it’s not much of a leap since he is in effect playing himself. Sullen, petulant and narcissistic, Kid has an affinity for purple, lace and leather. He often looks like he stepped right out of a Renaissance painting. He’s an odd but appealing presence. But let’s get real. The acting is a non-issue because most of the cast with the exception of Williams and Karlatos are playing versions of themselves, some of them exaggerated for comic effect. Williams is great as Kid’s father even if his character is fairly one-dimensional.
The power of Purple Rain lies in the music. Some of it is intense. When Kid performs the title song at the end, it serves as an emotional catharsis for both him and the audience. The music also gives the movie its momentum. It drives the action in a way the drama can’t. This is what ultimately helps Purple Rain avoid the same fate as failed musical dramas like Hard to Hold. I’ll take Prince over Rick Springfield any day.
