UNDER THE CHERRY MOON
US, 1986, 100 minutes, Black and White.
Prince, Jerome Benton, Francesca Annis, Kristin Scott Thomas.
Directed by Prince.
Under the Cherry Moon is a Prince vehicle, designed for himself and starring himself. Not only is he the star, he composed and sang the music as well as directed the film. His previous film was the variation on A Star Is Born, Purple Rain. There was also, in the late '80s, a filmed concert, Signs of the Times.
Prince is a screen presence rather than an actor. However, he has associated some top British stage and screen talent with him: Francesca Annas, Steven Berkoff, Victor Spinetti, as well as introducing Kristin Scott Thomas,
The film was photographed with Technicolor stock in black and white. Photography was by German expert Michael Ballhaus. The film is striking to look at - compensating, perhaps, for the thinness of plot and characterisations. Prince is a pianist gigolo on the French Riviera, wanting to make a fortune, gatecrashing a party and falling in love with heiress Mary Sharon, falling foul of her father and his mistress. There are some songs, some romance, some violence - with Prince dying at the end as some kind of smouldering screen hero.
1. A film for fans of Prince? For wider audiences? Plot, characters, locations? Music?
2. The quality of the black and white photography? Giving a tone to the film? The French Riviera and affluent settings? The range of songs and performance?
3. The title and its romantic overtones?
4. Christopher Tracy, Prince's style, the pianist, playing in the hotel, the encounters with rich middle-aged women? With Mrs Wellington, the money? Katie and the rent? His friendship with Trickey? Gatecrashing the party, Mary's behaviour, hoping to get rich from her? Mary's attraction, ordering them out? Mary visiting Christopher, the insults, the dance? Going to Mrs Wellington's villa, Mr Sharon's car and his having the affair? Mary involving Christopher in embarrassing her father? The party, Sharon removing Christopher and Trickey? Christopher breaking into the house, the wrong room, making love with Mrs Sharon? Christopher and Mary together? Trickey's betrayal? The attempt by Sharon to buy them off? Christopher at the airport - and the melodramatic romantic sequence? The pursuit by Sharon? Christopher escaping - but deciding not to leave, his death? Looking down from on high!? A believable character or not?
5. Trickey, friendship with Christopher, playing in the nightclub? The rent, the relationship with Katie? The birthday party, behaviour, thrown out? Trickey and his helping Christopher after the party? The break-in? Trickey and his telling Mary the truth about Christopher and money? His change of heart, the pursuit of Katie and Trickey by Sharon's men? Miami - and the letter from Mary? Trickey as the landlord of the apartment complex?
6. Mary, wealthy, spoilt? Her behaviour at her party? Flaunting herself? The clash with Christopher? Attracted, visiting him, setting him up - especially against her father? The clashes with her parents, interactions with her mother, the dominance of her father, the planned marriage? Her going to the party - but her father taking over? The night with Christopher? Trickey's phone call, her decision to go to America, the airport sequence? Her letter to Trickey - and her memories of Christopher?
7. Mrs Wellington, the wealthy middle-aged woman on the Riviera? Using men? Her affair with Sharon? Mrs Sharon?, her concern, the interlude with Christopher? Sharon, wealth, his goons? The interaction with Christopher, dominance of Mary?
8. Katie, landlady, the rent? Her relationship with Trickey? Pursued by Sharon's men?
9. Romantic melodrama? The stock material of popular novels? Prince's perception of these conventions and dramatising them? Seeing himself and his screen image in this context?
