What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)

‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’, the biopic detailing the life and rise to fame of Tina Turner, was first released in 1993 to rave reviews and many award nominations, applauding Angela Bassett for her multi-faceted portrayal of the star. With a supporting cast including Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis and Vanessa Bell Calloway, it grossed $61 million against a $15 million budget and landed the leading lady a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

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The movie begins in Nutbush Tennessee, as we see a young Anna Mae Bullock removed from her church choir service after singing above everyone else. She returns home to find her mother and sister leaving, as her Grandmother remains to pick up the pieces. Six years later in 1956, we see an older Anna, as played by Angela Bassett, getting off a bus in St Louis as she’s reunited with her family. Her Mom is soon requesting she brings some income into the house, and her sister Alline starts to take her to nightclub where she first becomes enthralled by bandleader Ike Turner, as played by Laurence Fishburne.

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This relights a love for singing, as she sees many women get the opportunity to perform with Ike and wishes to do the same. One evening she finally gets her wish as she’s chosen from the audience, Alline awestruck by her siblings vocal talent, and Turner is equally impressed as he offers to coach her and produce her music. She’s soon the first front woman of Kings Of Rhythm, backed by the Ikettes, and becomes a local sensation before the pair release their first single ‘A Fool In Love’ in 1960. By this time they’re a couple, whilst many warn Anna of Ike’s reputation.

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This is when she first learns of her new stage name, as while in hospital pregnant with her second child Ronnie, the song is introduced over the radio by ‘Ike & Tina Turner’. Tina is very sick after labour, but Ike and his entourage insist on taking her and Ronnie home as he proposes to her. They elope to Tijuana to get married, and one of their first altercations soon follows when Ike belittles Tina for not being well enough to perform at a show in New York - though we do see Tina go out on stage, as she performs their debut hit with tears streaming down her face.

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The cheque for A Fool In Love arrives, as Mrs Bullock sees dollar signs, Tina’s friend Jackie critical of the fact the star hasn’t received a dime of it yet. Soon after, the mother of Ike’s twins Lorraine Taylor leaves them on his doorstep, annoyed that he’s playing the family man now. Tina raises them as her own, and they spend a happy Christmas together. We next see an interview from 1964, which offers a critique on the appropriation of Black music when Tina and Ike are asked about Mannfred Mann’s recent success covering ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ by The Exciters.

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We first witness Ike be physically abusive to Tina at their home while guests are present - as she suggests all of his musical arrangements sound the same, tired of performing repetitive songs. He lashes out and hits her, and it’s implied it has happened before as she pleads with him that he promised he wouldn’t do it again. It’s a very impactful and gut-wrenching scene, as Tina is dragged through the house while her children watch, but it’s also important to note that the real singer didn’t like the way the movie portrayed her as a victim.

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Jackie comes inside to help her friend, as Tina tries to justify Ike’s behaviour because of the pressure he’s been under. She spends the rest of the day curled up in bed, until Ike arrives with apologies and gifts. The pair perform ‘Shake A Tail Feather’ on a TV show, where our star is spotted by Phil Spector who is eager to work with her, not Ike, which only adds to the animosity he has for his wife. A solo career is born, as ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ is recorded at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles under the watchful eye of Spector. Ike listens to it over the radio and hesitantly congratulates her, jealous of the fame she’s getting.

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One day they stop at a diner, where kids ask for Tina’s autograph. Ike orders a whole cake and pressures her to eat it, before shoving it in her face, getting a drink thrown in his. Jackie steps in to defend her friend, only to be on the receiving end of his hand too. She storms out of the diner, not before a last ditch attempt to convince Tina to walk away, though it doesn’t go ignored as she sneaks out of the house that evening, going to her mothers with the kids.

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However, Mrs Bullock is quickly taken in by Ike, as she informs him of Tina’s location with the boys, and she’s forced back into the abusive situation again when he bundles the children into his car. Life goes back to normal, as they open for the Rolling Stones in London 1968 and perform the song ‘Proud Mary’. The way Angela Bassett embodies Tina and pulls of her choreography with such precision is incredible to bear witness to and is what makes the movie shine so brightly.

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The song carries them through the years, as we’re shown a performance in Chicago 1971, and in Los Angeles 1974. Ike’s drug addiction begins to spiral more out of control, and he orders everyone to leave his house after a recording session of ‘Nutbush City Limits’ doesn’t go to his liking. He beats Tina again, this time sexually assaulting her too, something that Ike purported never happened in real life; though our Tina stated in her book sometimes they would have sex after he was physically abusive.

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Tina attempts to overdose before a show, being rushed to hospital where Ike threatens in the ambulance he’ll end her life if she dies on him. Jackie visits her while in hospital and extends an offer of shelter should she need it. She returns home and is quickly expected to pick up the role of housewife again, as Ike entertains other women. She does visit Jackie, and we see an amusing scene where they mock Ike’s mannerisms. Tina eventually breaks down, struggling with the thought of walking out again, and Jackie introduces her to Buddhism as a way to find strength.

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Tensions build once more, as Ike lays into Tina while on the road to a show in Dallas - but this time she fights back, biting his ear and hitting him. They walk into their hotel bleeding as onlookers stare in astonishment, but that night as Ike sleeps Tina runs for the final time, across the road to Ramada Inn. With only 36 cents to her name, she asks for a room and the staff are happy to offer her refuge. Seeing her stumble across the freeway towards freedom is heartbreaking and powerful all at the same time.

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Tina files for divorce, as Ike claims for all their material possessions, but her sole request is she keep her stage name which the judge grants. She performs ‘Disco Inferno’ at the Fairmont Hotel, hoping to be signed by Rodger Davis who’s in the audience. He meets her after the show as they discuss the trajectory of her career, Tina hoping to move into the Rock N’ Roll genre. Ike appears one night with charm and flowers, hoping she’ll record one more hit with him to pay his debts, and secretly wishing she’ll come back home. This act is dropped when she refuses, as he tells her she’s nothing without him, but she walks away once more.

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She performs ‘I Might Have Been Queen’ on the TV, as Rodger gives an interview about her upcoming gig at The Ritz, introducing nay-sayers to her new sound. Tina gathers with family and friends to watch this, but is interrupted by Ike Junior at the door who’s been attacked by his father. He warns of his dad’s threats to make sure she doesn’t perform at the Ritz. She takes no notice, though does chant that night, using the phrase ‘Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo’ which instils values of using the courage you have within yourself to change your circumstances.

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As she sits at her dressing table before going on stage, Ike arrives one last time, wielding a pistol. Tina isn’t phased by this, reminding him a whole room of people are waiting downstairs to see her, before exiting to light up the auditorium with the title song, as he watches from the distance before walking away. It switches to footage of the real Tina performing, as facts are given about her career, finishing with her smiling at the audience.

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Despite many of the events in the film being disputed, even by Tina herself who said she didn’t realise how much her own story would be distorted, it’s worth watching for the phenomenal delivery Angela Bassett gives. She has the range to capture every part of Tina, from her youth through her lowest moments to the incredible performer we know and love. Laurence Fishburne really deserves praise for his performance too, the one thing Ike applauded, even though he said the portrayal he gave wasn’t true. The soundtrack really sells the film too, not only with re-recorded tracks by Tina but a beautiful score heavy with electric guitars that pluck at your heartstrings.

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This is an ex-Blockbuster tape, and before the movie begins it includes an awesome featurette filmed at the long closed Museum of the Moving Image. Presented by Gaby Roslin, it shares trailers for Hocus Pocus, Give Me A Break, Fatherhood, Guilty As Sin, My Boyfriends Back and Son In Law. Watching all of the previews is a big part of the whole experience for me, seeing what was popular at the time. I’ll definitely be keeping this one in my collection for future viewing.