Based on the autobiography, I, Tina, by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder, What’s Love Got to Do With It combines Tina’s harrowing tale of spousal abuse at the hands of husband Ike Turner; her eventual escape; and finishes too soon - crowned with her triumphant rebirth as a rock ‘n’ roll icon in her own right.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939, the film humorously shows the young girl about age six getting escorted out of choir practice for overpowering the choir with her youthful enthusiasm. When she returns home, her mother has fled, leaving Anna Mae to be raised by her grandmother.

Fast forward ten years, teen-aged Anna Mae rides the bus to St. Louis to rejoin her mother and older sister after the death of her grandmother. Wanting to be free to date, her mother (Jenifer Lewis) sends Anna Mae with her sister to her night job at the local lounge where she is exposed to the rhythm and blues music of the mid-fifties. She soon meets Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne) who charms her and offers her a job once he learns she can sing. As they begin to get chart success, Ike changes her name to Tina Turner. They are soon touring as the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. They are married in 1958 in a quickie ceremony in Mexico.

Ike, unwisely, it turns out, accepts advances from the record company, going into debt, and when the future hits do not materialize, he takes it out on Tina, viciously beating her. Ike has also begun putting cocaine up his nose and this just helps bring the devil out in him. Tina tries to flee, but Ike uses her children against her and she comes under his influence again.

By this time the British Invasion is in full swing. Tina begins to be noticed by the record companies as the main attraction of the Revue. A performance of Shake a Tail Feather with the dynamic back up singers/dancers the Ikettes convinces record producer Phil Spector to make a record with Tina sans Ike. This is about the last straw with Ike and the resulting hit, River Deep, brings out his jealousy in all its fury. A brilliant montage shows several live performances of Proud Mary telescoped together. This song carried the group from the late sixties to the mid-seventies. The crowds chanting Tina! Tina! Tina! of course did nothing but exacerbate Ike’s jealousy…

Tina finally wrote a song herself but drug induced paranoia combined with his prediliction to violence caused Ike to savagely beat and rape Tina as she was trying to record Nutbush City Limits. Tina attempted suicide but was saved from the overdose. One of her old friends introduced her to Buddhism and Tina began to chant. Tina credits this as the turning point in her life where everything finally became clear to her.

Another altercation with Ike and Tina fled, penniless, and was fortunately taken in at a Ramada Inn. She sued Ike for divorce only requesting that she be allowed to keep her stage name, which the judge allowed. Tina went on to establish her solo career, becoming bigger than she ever was with Ike.

The script is good, however I would have liked to see more emphasis on Tina after the break with Ike. Most of the musical numbers dated from the time of Ike and Tina while Tina has had some huge hits on her own after the breakup. Just my personal taste. I had just a hint of suspicion that it made Tina a little too good to be true. Of course, it was HER book and Ike was not given equal time so we’ll never know.

Director Brian Gibson did an excellent job of bringing the story to the screen, especially in the musical numbers that captured all the excitement inherent in a Tina Turner performance. The singing and dancing with the scantily clad Ikettes (and Tina) are extremely well done and riveting. The dramatic scenes are also well done, with very convincing altercations between the couple, along with Tina's covering for Ike until she sees the light.

Actors Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne are fantastic in their portrayals of Tina and Ike Turner. Fishburne goes from charming to a violently abusive wife beater over the course of their relationship. Angela Bassett does a superb impression of Tina Turner, with great physical presence and lip-synching that is the very best I’ve ever seen. It appeared as if Angela were doing her own singing but it was Tina Turner’s voice dubbed.

Costuming by Ruth Carter is gorgeous with outrageous form-fitting outfits for the performers through the decades and the micro-miniskirts Tina made a trademark along with her gorgeous legs. Hairstyles consist of the wigs Tina has become famous for. Photography by Jamie Anderson is well done and ranges from superb visuals of the musical performances to grainy home movie type footage of Ike and Tina’s honeymoon.

What’s Love Got to Do With It? goes beyond the usual Hollywood bio-pic, showing the tremendous pain and frustration of Tina Turner’s life and her ultimate triumph as a singer apart from Ike Turner.

Music fans and drama fans will enjoy this film. I particularly think that women will identify with Tina Turner as portrayed by Angela Bassett.

Happy viewing!





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening