A sustained church organ chord plays as a silhouetted figure bathed in purple smoke preaches, “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get to this thing called life.” In the seven and a half minute montage that follows, we are introduced to the lead character named The Kid played by Prince, his band The Revolution, his love interest Apollonia, and his rival Morris Day. Glimpses of their domestic lives are juxtaposed with shots of First Avenue, the mecca of this musical world where the bands compete for their spot on stage. Apollonia’s arrival complicates this already tense environment, as The Kid has to contend with an abusive father and disgruntled bandmates. The stage is set. The atmosphere is charged by Prince’s electrifying performance. And we are taken away to this mythical place called Minneapolis.

The 1984 musical drama, “Purple Rain,” is not only an influential work in cinema but also a depiction of abuse and trauma within a nuclear family, an exercise in mythologized reality, and a cursory exploration of gender dynamics and romantic relationships. As The Kid navigates the rough waters of his personal and professional life, the film presents us with captivating depictions of their connections and the journey of the lead character’s self-discovery amidst the chaos of his world.

At the center of the movie’s narrative is the portrayal of family and its impact on individual identity and growth. The Kid’s troubled relationship with his father, portrayed by Clarence Williams III, serves as a focal point for exploring the effects of parental neglect on emotional development. Almost immediately after the opening club sequence, we are thrust in the middle of a domestic dispute when The Kid returns home from the club. The Kid barges into the house to protect his mother, and in doing so, gets hit by his father. The film portrays the cyclical nature of trauma, illustrating how the wounds of the past can shape the present and influence future relationships. In a later scene, The Kid would inflict similar abuse on Apollonia when she reveals that she’s joining his rival’s musical side project. It’s clear that The Kid is unconsciously mirroring his father’s behavior and must break the cycle before he can find own happiness.

In addition to exploring family dynamics, “Purple Rain” presents an interesting blurring of reality and fantasy. The film invites viewers into The Kid’s hyper-controlled artistic world, where his dreams and desires coexist and manifest in a fictionalized representation of Minneapolis. In fact, a portion of the movie locations are Los Angeles substituting for Minneapolis. The iconic movie poster and album cover was shot on the Warner Brothers backlot. Through surreal imagery and stylized sequences, director Albert Magnoli creates a world that displaces reality, inviting audiences to believe the illusion. This is the objective of all cinema, to seamlessly craft a facsimile of reality in order to engage the audience. The movie takes it a step further by incorporating the cast’s real names into the story; the cast is playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Building the mythology of Prince, the character of The Kid is portrayed as a bi-racial single child, while in reality, both of Prince’s parents were African-American and he had a sister and five half-blood siblings. By juxtaposing moments of heightened emotion – such as the performances at First Avenue – with dramatized reality – such as the scenes depicting The Kid’s parents – “Purple Rain” subverts our understanding of the real world and replaces it with a mythologized world.

Furthermore, the film’s romantic narrative adheres to conventional gender roles, with male characters exerting dominance and control over their female counterparts. Apollonia serves solely as a love interest. She’s a catalyst for The Kid’s emotional journey rather than her own fully-developed character. The passionate romance between the two leads is charged with lustful conflict, which only grows more complicated through Apollonia’s business partnership with Morris Day, The Kid’s musical and romantic rival. Morris is motivated by a need to eliminate his competition, and having Apollonia on a leash, puts him at a psychological advantage. Morris’ objective is to own the First Avenue stage. As Billy, the owner of First Avenue, tells The Kid, “I have three acts. I don’t need four. That means one of you has got to go.”

For The Kid, Apollonia represents a love that he needs to control, much like how his father controls his mother. At the end of the second act, when the Kid’s world spirals out of control, he lashes out and destroys his basement. In this moment of release, he accidentally finds proof of his father’s humanity – sheet music to a song that he would adapt to become the eponymous title track of the movie.

“Purple Rain” is a work that attempts to transcend its original intent as a cult classic, offering insights into the nature of family, reality, and gender dynamics. With both its strengths and limitations, it remains a fascinating rock n’ roll fantasy. While the film’s portrayal of gender dynamics is flawed, its exploration of familial bonds and the quest for self-discovery remain relevant. At forty years old, “Purple Rain” is a testament to the charisma and authenticity of Prince’s emotional performance, which cuts through artifice and illusion to make it a true classic.