Prince: purple reign

June 7, 7:54 PMSacramento Movie ExaminerKathleen Kelly

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Theatrical poster

Get out your high-heeled sequined boots, your lacy tuxedo shirts, and your purple bolero jacket, it's time to send out "happy birthday" greetings to Prince Rogers Nelson.  Prince celebrates his 51st birthday today and to commemorate his award-winning music, why not reserve "Purple Rain" and "Sign o' The Times" in your video rental queue?

In 1981, Prince released his album "Controversy" and evocatively asked the question, "am I white, am I black?"  His presence on stage was bold, uninhibited, unapologetically sexual.  With notoriety for his onstage antics and the power of his lyrics and guitar licks, Prince became a household name and Minneapolis was now known for the "Minneapolis sound".  New bands competed to play sets at the now heralded First Avenue night club.  The Minneapolis sound and First Avenue play a central role in Prince's 1984 film "Purple Rain."

"Purple Rain" is arguably a semi-autobiographical film about Prince.  Interestingly, most of the actors and musicians in the film are addressed by their real names whereas Prince portrays The Kid, a struggling yet talented musician who is at odds with his abusive father and his unsupportive and disbeliefing club manager.  His focus on his music and his band, The Revolution, is tested though when he meets Apollonia (Apollonia Kotero) who's newly arrived in Minneapolis to make a name for herself as a singer.  The Kid and Apollonia are wary of each other's intentions and motives in the budding relationship.  To prove herself to this enigmatic and talented stranger, she strips out of her black leather corset and skintight leather pants and jumps into the "purifying waters" of Lake Minnetonka only to emerge from the chilly waters with the Kid laughing, telling her that this water is not Lake Minnetonka.  And to complicate matters, the Kid's nemesis, Morris (Morris Day) and his band, The Time, are bringing in larger crowds for their sets at First Avenue then Kid and the Revolution are.  Morris, ever the bon vivant, is also introducing Apollonia to important players in the Minneapolis Sound, entangling her into his musical world, coaxing her into a romantic relationship.  Distraught from his breakup with Apollonia, The Kid's music is leaning toward the experimental and self-indulgent and even The Revolution is starting to question his vision, his leadership of their music.  And his guitarist Wendy and his keyboard player Lisa continue to show him music they have written, imploring him to write lyrics to their music, to give them a more creative role in the band.  But Kid's instinct, raised in a household where alcoholism and domestic violence is a regular occurrence, is to trust no one.  To be successful in his music and his relationships, he must unlearn the lessons of his past.

Granted the acting is subpar and the narrative at times is bordering on the juvenile and the hysterical (in seemingly serious moments).  Nonetheless, the musical sets are energizing, filled with verve and raw emotion, and well, Prince's performance of "Darling Nikki" still (25 years after seeing it at the drive-in!) can put me into an absolute tailspin, much like its effect on Apollonia. "Purple Rain" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.  

And if not to underscore the importance of Prince's music, Facebook has added to the homage of this film and its album.  When I took "What 'Purple Rain' song are you?" quiz, the result was "I Would Die 4 U."  I know that musically we're at an interregnum, but I declare "restore the Purple Reign."