Prince’s legacy in movies is, in its own way, just as influential as that of his music.
The world was shocked today by Prince’s death at the age of 57. Though he’s mostly known as a musician, Prince also left an impressive mark on musical cinema.
With his debut feature, 1984’s Purple Rain, the man born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958 cemented his myth on celluloid and earned an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song Score (an award now known as Best Original Song):
What made Purple Rain cinematically revolutionary was its “reboot” of the musical for the MTV-age.
The film was revolutionary, and not just because of the androgynous sexuality and racial groundbreaking of its star. In the traditional movie “musical,” starting with Al Jolson’s The Jazz Singer, the performers either sang to each other or into the camera, breaking the fourth wall and directing their songs to the audience.
From:: No Film School