Released in 1984, Purple Rain is a time capsule. It haunts for multiple reasons if you are a member of a certain age group, and because Prince is recently gone if not. When I saw it the first time in the 1980's, I saw it on HBO, on the small screen. I remember it being powerful for the musical brilliance and for the emotional intensity even then. It's more so on the big screen. I think we were lucky to have seen this in the theater. The acting is raw and un-trained, the people beautiful and intense. For all that, it will be a few days before the title song stops playing in my mind. The violence and sexuality are stronger and a touch darker than I remember, but nothing by today's standards. In the end, you fall in love with the music all over again, and appreciate the power of the stage performances by both Prince and Morris Day. A glorious tribute to feet moving and the lost glam of beauties with big hair in soft clouds, this definitely gets the musical and nostalgia votes, and I'll take the acting for the small independent thing that this movie was. It's a work of art in a different sense than high drama or anything else that comes your way in recent years. It's hard to believe it was 32 years ago. Excuse me if I feel my feet wanting to move...yeah, dance and music can have a bit of mysticism to them. 9/10
Dan
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