Purple Rain (film)
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| Purple Rain | |
|---|---|
 Purple Rain movie poster |
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| Directed by | Albert Magnoli |
| Produced by | Robert Calvallo, Steven Fargnoli, Joseph Ruffalo |
| Written by | Albert Magnoli, William Blinn |
| Starring | Prince, Morris Day, Apollonia Kotero Clarence Williams III |
| Music by | Prince, Michel Colombier, John L. Nelson |
| Cinematography | Donald E. Thorin |
| Editing by | Albert Magnoli Ken Robinson |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | July 27, 1984 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7 million |
| Followed by | Graffiti Bridge (1990) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Purple Rain is a 1984 feature film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince stars in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents. The film was very successful earning nearly US$70 million at the box office.
A sequel titled Graffiti Bridge was released in 1990.
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[edit] Production
The movie idea was apparently developed by Prince during his "Triple Threat" tour. Initially the script was to be darker and more coherent. Prince intended to play opposite his girlfriend Vanity until their relationship ended. Her role was initially offered to Jennifer Beals (who turned it down because she wanted to concentrate on college) before going to Apollonia Kotero, a virtual unknown at the time.
[edit] Plot
Prince plays " The Kid ", an aspiring and talented, but troubled Minneapolis musician with a difficult home life. He meets a singer named Apollonia, and they become involved in an untidy romance. The plot centers on Prince trying not to repeat the pattern of his abusive alcoholic father (Clarence Williams III) and keep his band, The Revolution, and his relationship with his girlfriend, together. His main antagonist is fellow musician Morris Day and his group The Time. Excluding Prince and his on-screen parents, almost every actor in the movie uses his/her actual name for his/her character.
[edit] Filming locations
Filmed almost entirely in Minneapolis, the film features many local landmarks, including the Crystal Court of the IDS Center (also shown in segments of the opening credits to The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and the legendary First Avenue nightclub. A notable geographic error in the film shows Apollonia running up (and bailing on) a $37.75 cab fare going from the Greyhound Station to the nightclub. In reality, they were just across the street from each other.
[edit] Soundtrack
The film is tied into the album of the same name, which spawned three chart-topping singles: the opening number "Let's Go Crazy", "Purple Rain", and "When Doves Cry." The movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Much of the movie's cinematography, by Donald Thorin, is closer to that of 1980s music videos than a conventional film.
