Winner of Grammy and Academy awards for its pulsating song score, 'Purple Rain' marks the electrifying movie debut of Prince as The Kid, a Minneapolis club musician as alienated as he is talented. He struggles with a tumultuous home life and his own smoldering anger while taking refuge in his music and his steamy love for an aspiring singer, Apollonia Kotero. He finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs. A complicated tale of his repeating his father's self destructive behavior, losing Apollonia to another singer (Morris Day), and his coming to grips with his own connection to other people ensues, is the crux of the story of Purple Rain.

Prince and the Revolution scorch with Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, When Doves Cry and the title song in what Rolling Stone magazine called “the smartest, most spiritually ambitious rock and roll movie ever made”.

The year was 1984, when Prince captivated the world with 'Purple Rain.' More than just an album, more than just a movie, and more than just a gargantuan tour, 'Purple Rain' signaled a seismic shift in music, fashion, film and celebrity.

'Purple Rain' is perhaps the one semi-modern movie that's impossible to talk about without talking about the songs, in fact, just about every single one of the ten compositions Prince created for 'Purple Rain' is a classic. The box office was huge, and the album reigned the top of the Billboard charts for an astonishing 24 weeks.

But 'Purple Rain' created waves all over for its merging genres,  demographics and musical ideologies -- from rock to funk to pop to new wave, music selection on the audio and movie, was more than just commercial synergy. The riffs, the melodies and the lyrics all seemed to effortlessly fit together like some cosmic jigsaw puzzle, as if the artist was channeling some sort of higher musical power.

‘Purple Rain’ the film and the soundtrack is what made Prince such a huge star. The semi autobiographical film has good music and even though it did not win any laurels, the story is very involving. Where Prince lacked in acting he more than made up for in charisma and presence on screen. The music is first rate.

As a fan I miss Prince very much and this film is in his memory whenever I watch it. He will forever remain larger than life itself.  26 year old singer and songwriter and stage performer, a life so well spent, a free spirit flying so high, this is what it sounds like when doves cry.

Cast: Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III  

Director: Albert Magnoli  

Screenwriter: Albert Magnoli, William Blinn  

Distributor: Warner Home Video  

Running Time: 111 min  

Film Release Year: 1984  

Release Date: 24^th August, 2004  

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira