Purple Rain (DVD Review)

"That ain't Lake Minnetonka"
This film is probably better than it had any right to be. Strip out Prince's dazzling musical performances (with choreographed audiences) and you are not left with much. It's not that it is bad (well, some of the dialogue and performances are) but that there is so much unutilised potential that in someone else's hands might have made a great film (See Paul Schrader's Light Of Day as case in point). However, we of course should be more than grateful for what is there - one of the best music films of the eighties (outside of Prince's own Sign O' The Times). Some of the success of the flick must go to Albert Magnoli for the early laid down template of the music video style of lighting and cutting. Prince, a talented muso, clearly has no dramatic chops (see Under The Cherry Moon and Grafitti Bridge for confirmation) and nor does the rest of the cast, although Jerome Benton and Morris Day are amusing to watch (such as their Abbott & Costello routine). The star is, of course, the music, which was Prince's most successful album both commercially and critically. The performances are dramatic, and play like opera on steroids, and pack more emotional whallop than any dialogue scene in the movie. The most notable actor in the piece is Clarence Williams III (yes, Linc from Mod Squad) and he is cool as Prince's father, although he's lumped with appalling dialogue.
The DVD transfer is markedly improved over the earlier release, with both a sharper anamorphic image and 5.1 sound. The extras include a commentary (unpreviewed) by the director, producer and DP, several solid featurettes (notable by Prince's obvious absence, of course not, do you think someone who felt he was a slave to WB would participate?), all of the music videos and best of all - an hysterically retro MTV Purple Rain Premiere Party with VJ's and appearances by people such as Little Richard, Lionel Richie, John Cougar Mellencamp, Weird Al Yankovic, a barechested Eddie Murphy plus Wendy, Lisa and Shiela E.