Purple Rain

Plot synopsis:
The film opens at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis where the band 'The Revolution' is playing their song "Let's Go Crazy". The lead singer, The Kid (Prince) has an energetic style that the people seem to dig. Arriving at the nightclub is aspiring performer Apollonia (Apollonia Kotero), who wants to see the manager. He's not there, so one of the ladies that works there takes down Apollonia's information. After The Revolution is done playing, Morris Day and The Time begin to play, the former having a rivalry with The Kid.The Kid lives at home with his mother (Olga Karlatos) and his father (Clarence Willliams III), a mixed race couple. The father physically abuses the mother, and strikes back at The Kid whenever he tries to defend her.The next day, Morris and the club's owner Billy (Billy Sparks) discuss getting a new group to replace The Revolution since people are getting tired of The Kid's schtick. Morris wants to organize an all-girl group, and Billy appears to be on board.The Kid pursues Apollonia. He takes her for a ride on his motorcycle and rides to a nearby lake, where he tells her he will help her break out if she gets into the water of Lake Minnetonka. Apollonia strips down to her underwear and jumps into the water. The Kid then says that it's not Lake Minnetonka. He gets on his motorcycle and begins to ride away, leaving Apollonia naked and pissed off. However, he stays and lets her climb back on.Two members of The Revolution, the bass player Wendy (Wendy Melvoin) and assistant guitarist Lisa (Lisa Coleman), frequently write music for the band and ask The Kid to give it a listen, but he never does and he continues to refuse to use their music, which causes tension between the band. The Kid mocks their sentiments using a puppet.Morris approaches Apollonia to join the girl group. He buys some fancy champagne and tries to convince her that The Kid can't help her kick-start her career since he can hardly get his own career off the ground. As The Kid performs, he watches the two of them sitting together. With The Revolution, he sings "The Beautiful Ones," which brings Apollonia to tears.After the show, The Kid brings Apollonia to his home. He plays a record track in his room that sounds like a woman moaning erotically, but he tells Apollonia that the woman is crying, and he is just playing the track backwards. The Kid then passionately kisses Apollonia and they make love for the first time.A few days later, Morris eventually persuades Apollonia into joining the group. She goes to The Kid's home and gives him the news. He reacts by angrily slapping her the same way his father does to his mother.The Kid learns from Billy that he plans to cut one of the acts for the club. This leads The Kid to go on a motorcycle ride to have time with his thoughts (while "When Doves Cry" plays). This is cut between moments of memories he shared with Apollonia. When he returns home, he finds his mother on the front steps crying. He enters his home to confront his father. The Kid finds him in the basement smoking a cigarette and playing the piano. He learns that his father has composed several musical pieces of his own, but he claims to have not written them down. When he asks his son if he has a girlfriend, The Kid says 'yes', and his father tells him not to get married.Back at the First Avenue, The Revolution performs "Computer Blue", with The Kid acting out like he's getting a blowjob on stage. The audience doesn't appear to be digging his music. Apollonia and Morris show up. The band starts playing the very provocative "Darling Nikki", which makes Apollonia uncomfortable and humiliated. After she leaves, The Kid goes into his dressing room and starts taking out his anger. Billy enters and criticizes him, comparing him to his father and his own failed musical career.Soon, the girl group, Apollonia 6, make their debut at the club. Their song, "Sex Shooter", is a hit, and Billy continues to hint at The Kid that they'll be taking his spot. After the show, Apollonia and Morris (who is drunk) are walking together. The Kid comes to get her on his motorcycle once Morris starts to get fresh. They ride by a bridge, where The Kid starts getting aggressive with Apollonia. She leaves him.When The Kid returns home, he sees that the place is a mess, and his mother is gone. He goes down to the basement, and his father shoots himself in the head with a handgun. But the wound only grazes his head. The medics take him away. The Kid starts raging out in the basement, whereupon he discovers his father's compositions. The following morning, he picks up a tape of a song that Wendy and Lisa wrote, "Slow Groove". It inspires him to start composing.That night, The Time plays their set to a satisfied crowd. After the performance, Morris goes by The Revolution's dressing room and tauntingly asks The Kid, "How's the family?" His buddies laugh, but Morris quickly regrets what he said.The Revolution goes up to play. Before the song, The Kid announces that they're playing a song written by Wendy and Lisa, which he dedicates to his father. The song is "Purple Rain". It thrills the crowd so much that even Billy sheds a tear. Once the song ends, The Kid goes backstage and plans to hop on his motorcycle, but he hears the enthusiastic cheering and goes back, where the other musicians congratulate him and cheer him on. He sees Apollonia as well, who appears to have forgiven him. He returns to the stage and plays "I Would Die 4 U". This is cut between scenes of him visiting his father at the hospital with his mother, as well as Apollonia visiting The Kid in the basement.The film concludes with a shot of The Kid giving the audience one more intense look.

Tags: cult, violence

Review:
Such conditions have existed in the realm of film vehicles for music stars since the genre began, (with some mind-boggling examples of the worst of the lot offered by every star from Elvis, to Frankie Avalon, to Vanilla Ice.) What you watch these movies for is not the deep plots, solid writing or impeccable direction.
It's for those moments of electricity that leap off the screen, strike you right in the butt and have you dancing in your theater seat, as the magic of a performer at his or her peak, in their heyday, turns a few minutes of film into a literal celebration of life.Such is the case with PURPLE RAIN, the one film that, as far as I'm concerned, effectively captured the raw essence of the good ol' "ME" Decade.In a thinly-disguised version of the events that shaped his career and his life, The Purple One starred as a brilliant songwriter and musician simply known in Minnesota music circles as "The Kid." There are three distinct storylines, all of which have been around since Mickey and Judy put on shows for the neighborhood.
One documents the intensive rivalry existing between Prince's band and the Time, fronted by the charismatic poseur and self-described "Lay-deez Man" Morris Day, (who in a satirical and self-effacing performance, manages to effectively steal every scene he is in.) The battle is waged nightly at Minneapolis' legendary First Avenue Club, (where Prince really did get his start with other leading lights like Andre Cymone, Jesse Johnson and Morris).In the second, the two frontmen battle even harder for the affections of new-girl-in-town Appolonia (Appolonia Kotero, in her debut, and biggest screen role to date.)The third reflects "The Kid's" struggle with his inner demons and the source of his problems dealing with his career and his personal relationships: the volatile, strained marriage between his equally brilliant but tragically broken father, Francis L.
Prince's chart-topping, Oscar winning song score found The Artist at his dazzling best, and director Magnoli made a wise call including as much scintillating concert footage as possible.The Battle of the Bands sequences are wondrous to behold, with both The Revolution and The Time at their tightest, loosest and funkiest all at once.
Even the vocally-deficient, amply-augmented Appolonia 6 (formerly Vanity 6) sparkles.The remaining cast all do the best they can with what moments they're given, the standouts besides Williams III and Karlatos being the hysterical rapport between Day and Time mascot Jerome Benton, and some refreshingly confrontational moments between "The Kid" and former bandmates Wendy and Lisa, which threaten at times to edge into the territory of cinema verite, rather than just popcorn-driven melodrama.But capturing one of the decade's defining cultural touchstones is the true purpose of PURPLE RAIN, and to this day, you can talk to people who can still remember where they were and what day and time it was the first time they heard "When Doves Cry." With "1999" running a close second, this was Prince's masterwork, and even though he still produces material with flashes of profane, profound, funk-fueled brilliance, he still has yet to top the creative bar he raised for himself and everybody else back in 1984..
A much undervalued film that tells the story of a young musician caught in an ever-declining spiral of domestic violence.At times difficult to watch, while Morris Day is portrayed as the misogynist, Prince as the knight on (motorcycle) steed, he is still called upon to twice beat a woman as part of the screenplay.
Prince's best film with Oscar-winning music, it sees him at his zenith, and it's saddening to realise that, even though he would make some fine albums, he would never again capture this high.Post-Script, July 2016: Seeing this film again, it was clear that I'd been watching it through Purple-tinted glasses.
As a big-time Prince fan of the last three to four years, I really can't believe I've only just got round to watching "Purple Rain".
It even makes Michael Jackson seem inanimate even in his peak years.Prince shows you how to win the girl of your dreams - drive her to a lake, make her jump in, then drive off - absolutely hilarious stuff in hindsight.Some of the scenes are very 1980s and unintentionally hilarious but this adds to the film's overall charm.
Not terribly different from many of the 1930s-era "backstage musicals," Purple Rain sports a contrived plotline that sees Prince (in the film referred to only as The Kid) battling rival musician Morris Day for the affections of new-in-town beauty Apollonia and a shot at stardom through a secure spot on the bill at legendary Minneapolis club First Avenue.
The Academy Award winning song score (irrefutably one of the best rock albums of the 1980s) and Prince's enigmatic, magnetic personality are undoubtedly the chief components in Purple Rain's sturdy cult, but for viewers of the right age, the youthful angst, flip attitude, and bold sexuality of the film will prove to be irresistibly attractive..
The movie as a whole is cool, with great performances by Morris Day and the Time, Apollonia (Sex Shooter) 6, and of course, Prince and The Revolution.
Ok, so it may not be the award-winning "movie of the year" type-film (apart from the brilliant soundtrack that I think won a few awards), but it is a really great film about 'The Kid' (Prince / O( take your pick) and the happenings around him living in Minneapolis, playing his music.
True the acting leaves a tad to be desired (barring Morris Day and especially Clarence Williams who are both pitch perfect), but the movie is still great and among the best to come out of the 1980s.
He is an expert showman and it was one of the best concerts that I've experienced.My Grade: A DVD Extras: Disc 1) Commentary with Director Albert Magnoli, Producer Robert Cavallo, & Director of Photography Donald Thorin; Theatrical Trailer; Trailers for "Under the Cherry Moon" and "Grafitti Bridge" Disc 2) A 12 minute featurette on the First Avenue Club; "Purple Rain: Bachstage Pass (a half hour featurette on the movie which i'll review later on it's page); "Riffs, Raffs, and Revolution: the Impact and Influence of Purple Rain" 10 minute featurette; 30 minutes of MTV's Premiere Footage (when MTV didn't suck donkey balls); 5 Prince music videos (Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With You, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U/ Baby I'm a Star, and Purple Rain); 2 Videos by The Time (Jungle Love and The Bird); and a music video for "Sex Shooter" by Apollonia 6Eye Candy: Apollonia shows her fine ass titties.
Things get so bad that some reviewers actually seem to think Morris Day and Jerome Benton can act; more accurately, they simply stink less than what surrounds them.This movie is clearly just a vehicle for the ego-absorbed Prince to preen and sneer his way through badly-written, badly-directed and poorly-lit material.
It's a perfect album, it starts out with Let's Go Crazy(appropriate for the beginning as it's a great party song and very up-tempo), Take Me With U(a fun pop song...), The Beautiful Ones(a cheerful ballad, probably the closest thing to R&B on this whole album), Computer Blue(a somewhat angry anthem towards Appolonia), Darling Nikki(one of the funniest songs ever, it very vaguely makes fun of Appolonia), When Doves Cry(the climax to this masterpiece), I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm A Star, and, of course, Purple Rain(a true classic, a very appropriate ending for this classic album) The movie and the album are both very good.
Second, without the plot element of Prince's movie relationship with his abusive father, the musical climax wouldn't work as well as it does -- so those reviewers who say that only the music is good have, once again, missed one of the points -- specifically, WHY it is so good...because all of the music in this film has a plot element backdrop that makes the music more effective.
Oh dear,this film is so bad I had to laughNow I haven't come on here to slate this film I'm just giving my opinion but this film sucked big time.The story line is pathetic and the acting isn't much better,Prince's acting is OK but still leaves a lot to be desired.His supporting cast are terrible and strangely enough I've not seen them in anything else decent since.the only reason i bought this film was for the performance of purple rain itself and if i ever watch it again i'll skip straight to that chapter.the song purple rain would be in my top 5 ever shame about the movie.Granted its not as bad as Spice World thats a minus 1000 but this film left me feeling empty and screwed of 8 English pounds!.
And it's not all so dark, the movie has some great music, band performance scenes, and sexy fun scenes between Prince and Appelonia..
Then Prince came along with his music & movie and painted the world purple for a brief moment in time.
This happens a lot, and since The Kid gets beat up by his father everytime he tries to intercede, he stays down in the basement and turns up the volume sky high.PURPLE RAIN is a towering achievement, one of the best musicals I've seen.
PURPLE RAIN is a wonderful movie and Prince is electric, but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'll take orders.DGSTAR STAR STAR STAR (out of four).
Most every element of the movie is grossly inferior, plain and simple.There are two redeeming qualities - Morris Day's self parody role as Prince's rival is wonderful, especially since the real  "The Time" was a far better band than Prince ever put together.
Only 32 years later we hear that Prince is now deceased.So we watch the film Purple Rain in his memory once ...than twice.
But we grow to understand through Purple Rain that the unselfish Prince gave most of himself.The film outlines his troubled young life, his abusive father, and most importantly his love for music.
I was no big fan of Prince but I did like the three big songs from this movie--"Purple Rain", "Let's Get Crazy", and "When Doves Cry".
As you'd expect there's a big climax, where the self-obsessed Kid reaches out by for once selflessly performing Wendy and Lisa's song (in reality his own), the title number, partly to expiate his pain over his family strife and also, naturally to win the girl, but the music is so good and the staging so strong that you believe it and all the 'happy ever after" boxes it ticks as it goes.Which is pretty much the story of the film and it wouldn't be the first "musical" where the songs carried the movie, but there were rarely songs as good as these doing the job..
Other than that, Purple Rain is just a long MTV video, which is only partially salvaged by Prince's and his rival, Morris Day's good material for the soundtrack.
Bar some of the questionable acting (there musicians at the end of the day), this in the words of Quentin Tarrinno is "The best rock movie ever made...period"Think 8 Mile, but without the rapping - a young musician, trying to prove himself to the local community, whilst struggling to cope with a broken home and a rival band.
But look to the absolutely fabulous and energetic performances by Morris Day and The Time, so good and fun as counterpoint to the terrific music of Prince and his band, and of course ultimately the undeniable virtuosity of Prince himself..
Purple Rain is an excellent,unforgettable Rock N'Roll Musical Classic and one of the greatest Rock N'Roll movies of all time that combines great,stylish direction and a classic album and soundtrack that makes Purple Rain Prince at his best.Set in Minneapolis,Minnesota,Purple Rain tells the story of The Kid(Prince),a talented but troubled musician who's the leader the group The Revolution and while The Kid rocks out with his band he has a upsetting personal life.
The Kid then meets and falls for an aspiring singer and dancer Apollonia(Apollonia Kotero)while competing with rival musician and singer Morris Day(Morris Day)and trying to make it to the big time.The year 1984 is one of the most iconic and unforgettable years in the history of pop culture and not only that it was also an incredible year for movies,music and television.
The ending of Purple Rain(which is the final 20-30 minutes)is fantastic and one of the best endings I have ever seen in a film and is filled with great music that is brilliant and powerful and will stay with you forever.
Wonderful direction,Magnoli.The soundtrack by Prince And The Revolution is one of the greatest and most unforgettable albums and soundtracks of all time with amazing songs such as the title track Purple Rain,When Doves Cry,Let's Go Crazy,Computer Blue,Darling Nikki,The Beautiful Ones,Take Me With U,I Would Die For U and Baby I'm A Star.
So the story basically plays off of that competition aspect of their rivalry rather than their friendship which shows the true competitive side of what occurred at club "First Avenue" for it's time.Another reason why this movie is good is due to the fact that some of the situations that occur in the movie are actually based on events that Prince has gone through in his life with the music aspect and the personal.
To this day, my friends and I still jam to the Purple Rain soundtrack and pretend to be Prince and the Revolution.Now the movie itself, I just meant what I said in the title, because for the most part, this movie itself is made by the music.
The film contains many of Prince's great hit songs like "Let's Go Crazy," "When Doves Cry" and the title song "Purple Rain."  And it was also great hearing Morris Day and The Time, who also perform some of their great hit songs.
The plot, such as it is, involves Minneapolis musician "The Kid," who clashes with family members, professional rivals, and his own ego; the film is obviously based on The Purple One's own life.The film is really nothing more than a feature-length music video marking Prince's acting debut; he is essentially playing himself here, and is surprisingly charming.
Anywho, I remember watching this film when it came out in 1984, (the good old 80s) and thinking at the time it wasnt a bad film, but the musical performances are stunning.
Prince plays The Kid, the front man of the band called the revolution, who is so into his own thing that he's isolating everyone including his band mates, which is bad for the business of the 7th street club they play at, cause he's not packing them in, but good for Rival band, The Time lead by Morris Day who uses this as part of his plan to become the one and only headliner at the club and to steel the Kid's love interest, Apollonia form him on both a romantic and professional level.The Story is well played out, but the real draw and what makes the movie great is that it's basally a long music video for the entire Purple Rain soundtrack.
It maybe a disservice to call the album a soundtrack as listening to this music play as the movie progress it what gives the film a quality that still makes it worth checking out after 32 years (That and watching Morris Day and the time perform never gets old, ever!)So, it is pure 80s nostalgia, at it's best, but it's not as corny as you'd think, thanks to the wonderful contribution of music Prince as brought to the universe.
And the music was some of "Prince's" best songs they carried this film making it a winner as a viewer can see a time when "Prince" had just became a worldwide known star as "Purple Rain" would show..
Then of course comes the hook, and it's here that it takes on an iconic, gets-in-your-head quality.That song is maybe the most Music-Video-y of anything in the Purple Rain film, as it comes about midway through the movie and reflects Prince - aka "The Kid" but he's just Prince really - at a moment when he is uncertain of what to do as he's done the wrong thing by the woman who should be his love, Apollonia, and he still has the same strife at home going on with his parents.
And then there's two more songs to finish off and you leave on a high and a buzz.Those live performances, and the music in general, including those basic but awesome dance tracks from The Time, make up what's so special about the movie and Prince in general.
Purple Rain is a great film if you are a 40-something music lover who partied to Prince music in the 1980s.
Prince is a bad actor, but his performance, especially of Purple Rain/I Would Die 4 U make it worth sitting through the film.
But it is a good film, made even better with the soundtrack - absolutely brilliant soundtrack - and with such an incredibly strong 80's feel to it.The acting from Prince is not too bad, Apollonia is not the greatest though, but Mr Morris Day was fantastic.
His character alone stole every scene and really gave the movie a surprise highlight.So again I say, if you love the 80's or you like the soundtrack (the Purple Rain track sends shivers down the spine when blasting), definitely check the film out.
Morris Day steals every scene as Prince's greatest rival and Apollonia Kotero just looks good, but little else, as the love interest.
Morris Day steals every scene as Prince's greatest rival and Apollonia Kotero just looks good, but little else, as the love interest.
Morris Day overacts extremely at times and Prince seems to mumble all of his lines like another rock musician who had many a bad performance in a movie (Elvis).
If you could only use two performances to show what pop music in the eighties was about, you would not do much better than to show Prince's renditions of "Purple Rain" and Let's Go Crazy" in this movie.