Purple Rain - Motion Picture DVD

US DVD

On July 27, 1984, Warner Bros. unveiled Prince’s R-rated Purple Rain in theaters for moviegoers. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:

Purple Rain, starring rock star Prince, may create a surprise and sudden box office storm for Warner Bros. Sensitive and highly visual, this Albert Magnoli-directed film is an accomplished and sophisticated example of storytelling. Even those who aren’t Prince fans are likely to be captivated by its energy, enamored with its simple, often poignant storyline.

Prince stars as a headstrong, vulnerable young musician. He’s self-destructive, submerging his music in his anger and insecurities. In short, his music is indulgently personal, and Prince soon finds himself losing his standing in the club where he and his band, the Revolutionaries, are on the verge of hitting the big time. His rival, funker Morris Day, taunts him, “You’re just like your old man. You don’t have what takes to be on top.”

The catalyst to turn Prince’s direction is an alluring, young singer (Apollonia Kotero) who comes onto the scene. She’s mysterious and dazzling, and if Prince is to survive personally as an artist, it will be through his love for her.

While the story is structured as a simple tale of survival through love, its rhythmic variations (through the editing and soundtrack), as well as its highly articulate visuals, touch emotions and sympathies that rock movies often don’t reach.

Credit Magnoli’s fluid, evocative direction as well as his and co-editor Ken Robinson’s superb orchestration of shots. In this regard, special praise must be given to director of photography Donald L. Thorin, production designer Ward Preston and set decorator Anne McCulley, whose efforts have added texture and depth.

Despite a slightly slow beginning, Purple Rain builds to a satisfying and climaxing crescendo with Prince’s performance of the title tune an emotional dedication to his father. In short, the story (scripted by Magnoli and William Blinn) jells, both as a romance and as a story of personal triumph.

The charismatic Prince and strikingly attractive Apollonia Kotero as his love interest are (in the best traditions of musicals) a pair you root for. Morris Day, lead singer of The Time, and Jerome Benton as his sidekick add notes of humor to his emotionally charged production. Technical credits, in two words, consistently superb. — Duane Byrge, originally published July 3, 1984

AMG Review

Prince designed Purple Rain as the project that would make him a superstar, and, surprisingly, that is exactly what happened. Simultaneously more focused and ambitious than any of his previous records, Purple Rain finds Prince consolidating his funk and R&B roots while moving boldly into pop, rock, and heavy metal with nine superbly crafted songs. Even its best-known songs don't tread conventional territory: the bass-less "When Doves Cry" is an eerie, spare neo-psychedelic masterpiece; "Let's Go Crazy" is a furious blend of metallic guitars, stonesy riffs, and a hard funk backbeat; the anthemic title track is a majestic ballad filled with brilliant guitar flourishes. Although Prince's songwriting is at a peak, the presence of the Revolution pulls the music into sharper focus, giving it a tougher, more aggressive edge. And, with the guidance of Wendy and Lisa, Prince pushed heavily into psychedelia, adding swirling strings to the dreamy "Take Me With U" and the hard rock of "Baby I'm a Star." Even with all of his new, but uncompromising, forays into pop, Prince hasn't abandoned funk, and the robotic jam of "Computer Blue" and the menacing grind of "Darling Nikki" are among his finest songs. Taken together, all of the stylistic experiments add up to a stunning statement of purpose that remains one of the most exciting rock & roll albums ever recorded.