Because it was no simple Hard To Hold mess. It tackeld serious issues and had many dramatic elements. The acting is cheesy yeah but still. It oculd have been some real sailly madnes going on for Princes first movie. Remmeber it has a king of punk funk and rising pop star who already had a semi large audienc ebeing hit without reciprocating etc...Prince --a rock star was made extrememly vulnerable on celluloid. For an ego as big as his it took a few cajones to let that happen..Francis popped him a good one and then nothing, we cutr to the next day etc. What rock star would let that happen at that time? And it showed just what goes on to beciome a great band..which is practice practice practice..what rock movie showed how th estars got that way? And as mentioned before by others, Prince cried his eyes out publicly. I mean he showed his vulnerable side to be mocked by the audience. Themes of domestic violence, trust, attachment, guns, possesiveness etc were all played out in this movie. Folks dont recognize the dynamics of Purple Rain.

don't forget apollonia's boobies

Anxiety said:

True, 'Purple Rain' does deal with alot of subject matters and has some very serious undertones,
but saying that it is still just a rock n' roll movie.

rdhull said:

It's true, wat u said. some people don't focus hard enough
2 wat the story in Purple Rain is telling them.

r1ghteousone said:

No..it is NOT "just" a rock n roll movie.

If anything its a melodrama with some music in it I think.

rdhull said:

Ok, it's a melodramatic rock n' roll movie.

r1ghteousone said:

No , it's a melodrama..and it has some music in it.

rdhull said:

Will I ever find a righteous one? - Computer Blue

The movie also wove the thees of the characters with the msongs played. Each song damn near was a part of dialogue and the themes preeented in th emelodrama. There is a cvonnection not seen in many film of the genre.

SweetKreme said:

rdhull said:

This I can completely agree with, the songs progress the movie perfectly. They display all of Prince's emotions throughout.

SweetKreme said:

I thought it was "until I find.."

Maybe it was Until I ever find a righteous one? - Computer Blue - My point was:

I love Price as a writer there are so many points of symbolism in this movie- defineitly some very important messages, and even though he didn't write this movie I belive it was written in his style to give the illusion that it was his movie completely and also because he knew people dodn't wanna be brought down with a movie that was overly dramatic.
I'm not gonna let the elevator break us down - no no let's go

The music was defintely a good way to get the message across while rockin out at the same time - so the point of the movie was almost subliminal which is also probably the same reason some just choose to focus on the music and not give the movie it's props for being a really good drama.
My 2 cents is at least worth a dime!
[This message was edited Mon Dec 8 12:00:02 PST 2003 by SweetKreme]

Purple Rain should be applauded for the themes it attempted to tackle. However, it didn't properly address any of the issues. It was as if they were saying that good music would solve all of his problems. Unless, of course, the point was that things would work themselves out so long as he stayed true to himself and his music.

whodknee said:

no it wasnt that music would solve th e problkems..it was him eing able to love and let love in..to trust..to realize his father was wrong and a bullshitter and he didnt have to live his fathers life..hitting is wrong..forgiving violence (although Im not hip if he learned the elements that power ansd control are part of domestic or partner violence), and finding out that things are written down. I actualt think th e music had nothing to do with solving those issues--except him putting his words into usiong s\music as a weapon ( Darling Nikki) as well AS USING IT AS A WAY TO EXPRESS WHAT HE COULDNT SAY ( pURPLE rAIN, ETC).

Anxiety said:

ahhh apollonia's boobies

boobies

yes the bobies are great as is her cortch shot but cant we be above the lowest common demominator for a few?

CHAOSMAN87 said:

mashers.

Sounds good--A Mashers club.

Since this thread is depressing:

I ORDER YOU ALL TO LISTEN TO THE EVERLASTING NOW.

r1ghteousone said:

Take it for what it is...The BEST rock-n-roll movie
EVER made!

rdhull said:

I was ready to agree with you, until you stressed that the point was to love and let love in. If that's the point, then it's a completely crappy movie. We never know why he's so paralyzed by love. It's implied (more in Doves than in the actual film) that it's because he fears turning out like his father, but it could also be due to feelings of insecurity, of abandonment by his family, of misconstruing what love actually is. Of course, it's probably a combination of all these, but the film never properly addresses it and lets us know his demon.

Likewise, his inability to relate to his bandmates. Why the insecurity about W&L making a demo tape? We never find out truly why he didn't want to listen to their tape, just as we never find out why he was so violently opposed to Appolonia's collaboration with Morris. He comes to understand them because his dad wrote some songs years ago? It doesn't add up to a dramatic payoff.

PR has good tension, believable acting, and wonderful music that added to the story, making it, as others here have stated, a rock and roll movie.

its a great movie!!! my daughter and I watched it last night and she cried every time Prince did She said that Purple Rain meant Prince's tears (shes six years old)!!!