When I was a teenager, I had an enormous crush on Prince. Whenever he put out a new album, I rushed to the local record shop to buy it on the day of its release. Then, I would run home and play the album over and over until the vinyl was almost worn. Hovering above my bed was a life-size poster of the man who was some day going to step out of the picture and hand me the red rose he held in his hands. So, on the day "Purple Rain" opened in the theaters in 1984, I made sure I was one of the first in line to see the film in which my future husband (at least he was in my imagination) starred. And I didn't see the movie just once. I saw it over and over and over again until I had memorized every scene and every line. What can I say? I was obsessed.
I recently had the opportunity to watch "Purple Rain" once again-this time as an adult. And, I must say, that even though I no longer aspire to marry Prince, I still greatly enjoyed the film, not for its brilliant storyline - the plot is quite simple- nor for its incredibly talented actors and actresses- most of them put on pretty medicore perfomances - but because of its incredibly infectious soundtrack which contains some of what I consider to be Prince's best music ever. Adding to my enjoyment of the film is the fact that Prince performs most of this music in his concert scenes, which are nothing less than sizzling.
As "Purple Rain" opens, the Kid (Prince) and his band The Revolution kick ass on stage with "Let's Go Crazy" - one of the many hits from the film. However, we soon learn that the Kid, who is just about to make it to the big time, has his share of problems including: an abusive father who never made it as a musician despite his incredible talent as a songwriter, a mother who refuses to leave her husband even though he constantly beats the crap out of her, and an arch enemy (Morris Day) who is trying to get Billy, the manager of the club where the Kid and The Revolution play, to fire the band. To make matters worse, after the Kid gets a girlfriend (Appolonia) Morris tries to entice her to let him manage her, an act which causes the Kid to become angry and abusive just like his dad. Will the Kid make it as a star despite his host of problems? Will he get the girl? Will he live happlily ever after? Of course, he will! It's a predictable movie.
Although the plot lacks any sort of complexity, there are some very humourous scenes, especially the ones with Morris and his sidekick Jerome. I remember laughing my ass off at these two when I was a teenager, and they drew the same reaction from me more than twenty years later. Morris and Jerome complement each other nicely, and their performances with their band The Time are infused with such funk and energy that I still want to get out of my seat and dance every time they play "The Bird."
So, to recap. Although "Purple Rain" is weak in the storyline and acting departments, it literally rocks! And anyone who truly loves good music will appreciate the film even if he/she never had a crush on the main star.