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From: kitten@pertec.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Purple Rain (non)
Message-ID: <209@pertec.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Sep-84 14:06:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: pertec.209
Posted: Thu Sep  6 14:06:44 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Sep-84 04:23:18 EDT
Organization: Pertec Computer Corp., Irvine, CA
Lines: 59

I know it's late in the summer to be posting a review on a film that's
been out so long, but due to the number of negative reviews about this
movie, I just had to speak up after *finally*, seeing it.

(Note:  I saw Purple Rain at a matinee in a rather deserted theatre
showing it in Dolby sound.  Had it been more crowded, I believe I
would've enjoyed it even more from the audience participation.)

I went in to see this movie fearing that Prince was doing it solely
for financial and commercial gain.  Many people spoke of it as "one
long video", others said the treatment of women in it was deplorable.
As for the argument about the long video, I contest it.  Sure, there
*was* a lot of concert footage, but wasn't this film supposed to be
about music?  Other footage *set* to music continued depicting the
storyline, such as "When Doves Cry" (after his altercation with his
girlfriend, with a backdrop of his home life), and the final concert
scene (showing him with his father, and with his father's music).

As for the treatment of women, *that* was part of the message of the
film.  The Kid (as he is known in the film) had no other role model
on how to treat women than his father, and his parents' relationship
was one of love/hate, fierce fighting/passionate love-making(making up).
Because they did make up, and because he had no other example to go
by, he thought it worked, and that's how it must be.

Another point I'd like to bring up is that Prince did not have himself
depicted as perfect, or particularly good, as a human being.  Let's
face it, he (pardon the language) fucked up...and more than once,
like us humans tend to do.  He did show The Kid as selfish, in the
way he treated others, and in his search for success.  He slapped
around his girlfriend, and he chided his female band members for
writing songs on their own, which he never bothered to even listen
to.

The very end, of course, was concert footage, with some other footage
edited in telling the last bits of the story.  It does leave open ends.
What happens to his father?  What happens to Apollonia?  Where does
The Kid go from here?  Sequel?  I hope not.  It wouldn't work.  There
was a lot of electric energy in Purple Rain, and I feel there isn't
much left, and not much left to tell, for another movie.  But I
wouldn't mind seeing Prince again in something else.  He may be
primarily a musician, but his acting was good.  I never lost that
"illusion of reality" by any bumbling on anyone's part, his included.
Nothing spectacular, but it didn't distract.  And as a musical
performer, he was electric.

Of course, Prince could be said to have a limited appeal...mostly
women, as he has a mystical sexual charisma about him (main reason
why I and my friend went).  As far as males are concerned, they are
probably attracted to his work because they like his music, and they
desire to be like him (lots of men would welcome such charisma!).

Well, sorry this wound up so long, but I just had to get this taken
care of.

kitten~
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