Purple Rain (1984)
When I hear about a musician making their film debut, I get worried. Being able to perform in front of a crowd does not make you an actor. Some singers know this and pick a role even someone with no experience could do in their sleep. Battleship is a good example. Rihanna isn’t bad in the movie, but you would hardly even remember she’s in it. Then you have the other spectrum, like Michael Jackson in Moonwalker and the audience is subjected to a glorified demo reel. Once in a while, you get lucky and find that perfect middle like you do in Purple Rain.
Prince plays our unnamed protagonist others refer to as “The Kid”; the talented frontman of his band, The Revolution. He’s a temperamental, selfish, and irresponsible musician who frequently lets his teammates down. When Apollonia (Apollonia Kotero) walks into the First Avenue club and hears The Revolution playing, she dreams of becoming a musician herself. Her ambitions become a tool for The Kid’s rivals to use against him.
The plot doesn’t sound like it should work at all, but it does. There are two intersecting stories at once. First, we have the Kid, who needs to experience something revolutionary. Otherwise, he’ll end up alone and bitter, someone whose talent is ultimately squandered because he’s pushed his bandmates away. Then we have Apollonia who wants the same kind of success he has, even if it means compromising herself. The movie doesn’t try to be a big grandiose story about making millions of dollars and selling that hit record. It’s personal, the struggles are believable. You're following two people who have the potential to be big but aren’t there yet.
Director Albert Magnoli (who co-wrote with William Blinn) plays to their actors' strengths and keeps the emphasis on the emotions. The movie is about a musician and many good songs are featured, with the titular Purple Rain being the undeniable best. Although Prince's name isn't linked to the writing, you get a feeling he had input on his character or the direction of the story. The way he reacts to his abusive mother (Olga Karlatos) and father (Clarence Williams III) feels a bit too authentic, and his role as an arrogant, misguided up-and-coming musician resonates with self-reflection. At a glance, this looks like a vanity project but Prince has not cast himself as a shining hero. There's dimension to this role. Not all of the performances are great and the plot may be a bit thin but if you judge this musical on its music, it's hard to get upset by what seem like trivial matters when you've just heard the dulcet tones of Let's Go Crazy or When Doves Cry.
I'm not sure why you'd be on the lookout for films featuring musicians playing parts but Purple Rain is among the best Hollywood has to offer. The soundtrack is terrific and the story's pretty good too. (On DVD, August 7, 2015)
