Under the Cherry Moon

Under the Cherry Moon
Name	Under the Cherry Moon
Director	Prince
Producer	Warner Bros. Pictures
Writer	Prince
Starring	Prince, Kristin Scott Thomas, Steven Berkoff
Music	Prince
Cinematography	Michael Ballhaus
Studio	Warner Bros. Pictures
Released	1986
Country	United States
Language	English

Under the Cherry Moon

Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 romantic musical comedy film written, directed by, and starring Prince. Set on the French Riviera, the film follows a charming musician's entanglement with wealth, romance, and deception during a summer of intrigue. Combining elements of romantic comedy and musical film, the production involved a multinational cast and crew drawn from Hollywood and European cinema.

Plot

The narrative centers on a smooth-talking musician who arrives in a glamorous coastal town on the French Riviera with his friend and bandmate. They seek fortunes among the elite, targeting heirs who frequent grand villas and casinos associated with Monte Carlo, Cannes, and Nice. Romance complicates their scheme when the musician falls for a wealthy heiress linked to families reminiscent of European aristocracy such as the Rothschild family and social circles that intersect with figures from Hollywood and Parisian high society. Subplots involve confrontations with legal authorities resembling Monaco policing, rival suitors inspired by characters from F. Scott Fitzgerald-style stories, and musical interludes that punctuate scenes at beachfront clubs and lavish parties.

Cast

Principal roles include the musician portrayed by Prince, the heiress played by Kristin Scott Thomas, and a villainous socialite portrayed by Steven Berkoff. Supporting performances feature ensemble actors with connections to stage and screen traditions tied to institutions like The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Vic, and filmographies intersecting with Miramax and Paramount Pictures. Cameos and background performers recall links to artists who worked with David Bowie, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and contemporaries prominent in 1980s popular culture. Casting choices reflect transatlantic careers spanning British Film Institute alumni, American Film Institute graduates, and European festival regulars from Berlin International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival lineups.

Production

Principal photography took place on location along the Côte d'Azur and in studio facilities administered by Warner Bros. Pictures. Direction and screenplay responsibilities rested with Prince, bringing a pop auteur sensibility similar to singer-directors associated with The Beatles's experimental film ventures and later musician-filmmakers like Madonna and Rob Zombie. Cinematography was undertaken by Michael Ballhaus, noted for collaborations with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Martin Scorsese. Production design evoked art deco and belle époque aesthetics influenced by archives from Musée d'Orsay, costume references linked to designers who dressed stars at the Academy Awards and Cannes Film Festival, and choreography drawn from clubs akin to Studio 54. The shoot encountered scheduling overlaps with other 1980s productions and intersected indirectly with unions such as Screen Actors Guild and European equivalents.

Music and Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed and performed by Prince with contributions from collaborators associated with The Revolution, session musicians who worked with Stevie Wonder and James Brown, and production techniques reflecting trends in records released by Warner Bros. Records. Songs from the film were released as singles charting alongside contemporaneous hits from Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Whitney Houston on listings managed by Billboard. The musical styling blends pop, R&B, and orchestral arrangements reminiscent of scores by Ennio Morricone and soundtracks scored for films premiered at Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.

Release and Reception

The film premiered in 1986 under the banner of Warner Bros. Pictures and was distributed amid a summer slate that included releases from Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures. Critical reception invoked comparisons to auteur-driven musician films including projects by Bob Dylan and John Lennon, with reviews published in outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and Variety. Award season discourse referenced recognitions from bodies like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Golden Globe Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival, though the film's reception diverged from mainstream award winners. Box office performance contrasted with contemporaneous blockbusters from studios such as 20th Century Fox.

Legacy and Influence

Over time the film generated discussion among scholars and critics researching intersections of popular music and cinema, appearing in retrospectives at institutions like the British Film Institute, MoMA, and university film programs associated with UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Its aesthetic and auteur ambitions influenced later musician-directed projects by artists connected to Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Janelle Monáe, and Kendrick Lamar, while the film's fashion and set design informed exhibitions at museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and influenced stylings seen at events like the Met Gala. Scholarly works have analyzed it alongside films screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival to trace evolving relations between celebrity, narrative cinema, and popular music culture.

Category:1986 films Category:Films scored by Prince (musician)