WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW. "Love is the union with somebody, or something outside oneself, under the condition of retaining the separateness and integrity of one's own self."- Erich Fromm, sociologist and psychoanalyst (quoted in the 2001 October issue of O, The Oprah Magazine). INTRODUCTION - WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW: What's Love Got To Do With It? opens with Anna Mae Bullock (Rae'ven Kelly) singing This Little Light of Mine with the Nutbush Church Choir. However, the choir director (Virginia Capers), gets annoyed with Anna because she's the loudest member letting her light shine. Before long, she's singing loud and "gyrating" once again, only to be put out of church by the choir director. [I thought one's soul is supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit until a joyful noise comes forth]. Anna walks home from church. As she gets closer to home, Anna sees her mother, Zelma Bullock (Jenifer Lewis), and older sister, Alline Bullock (Phyllis Yvonne Stickney) loading things into a pickup truck. She hears her mother screaming to her grandmother (Cora Lee Day), "Mama, you gonna have to take care of her, because I ain't gonna let him beat up on me no mo'." Anna's mother and sister drive off, abandoning her at the age of eight or nine. These traumatic events - witnessing spousal abuse and being abandoned - ultimately resurface and eventually define Anna's self-worth. THE SCOOP St. Louis, 1958 -- After her grandmother dies, Anna moves to St. Louis to live with her mother and sister. Zelma apologizes for not attending her own mother's funeral, and explains why she left her behind. "Anna Mae, you were too young to understand what was going on between me and yo daddy." Zelma also tells Anna, "Everybody in this household has a job." [Bad enough she abandoned Anna, but now she expects her teenage daughter to work, after all she's already been through]. A STAR IS BORN One night after dinner, Zelma tells the girls she has a date, and instructs Alline to take Anna with her to the nightclub. Playing on stage at Club Royal is Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne) and his band, the Kings of Rhythm. Anna is awestruck by Ike's onstage persona. As part of Ike's act, he randomly invites women on stage to sing along with his band. Ike invites her on stage, and he's dumbfounded by her voice. Ike convinces Anna that he can make her a star. [Dub music in - Make Me Over]. Ike changes Anna's name to Tina and Ike forms the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Tina's trademark wigs become part of the act, after she goes to get a perm to look like Marilyn Monroe (per Ike's instructions, of course), and all her hair falls out]. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? Ike and Tina become romantically involved, she gets pregnant, and they have a quickie wedding in Mexico. Ike controls ALL their money, as well as Tina's every move. Ike's dream of making it big comes true when they get a gig in New York. Tina complains to Ike that she's tired after giving birth to their son, raising his other two sons, and their exhausting cross-country touring schedule. [Come on now Ike. Even Jesus Christ rested on the seventh day]. Ike's true personality reared its ugly head. Paraphrasing Ike: ". . .baby you got more excuses than a nigger going to jail. . . The marquee says Ike and Tina Turner, and those people out there are waiting to see [me]. So you gonna leave me like all those other suckers I made famous? I've been trying to get to this place my whole life. You're the sorriest mother f%$^&r I've ever seen." Of course Tina goes on stage and wows the audience with her unique soulful voice and performs their new song, Fool in Love. WELL, WE'RE MOVING ON UP Here's the quick blow by blow, (no pun intended), of how things happen after money, fame and drugs go to Ike's head. After the success of Fool in Love, Ike, Tina and their entourage move to Hollywood. [When in Rome, you do as the Romans do]. Ike spends lavishly -- a new house, with a pool, fancy clothes, fur coats, cars, etc. Instead of Ike translating Tina's success into "their" success, he becomes jealous of Tina. Music producer, Phil Spector (Rob LaBelle) sees Ike and Turner perform, and he approaches Tina to record a solo song. Ike is seething, but he 'allows' Tina to record a song with Spector. [The song - A River Deep, - was performed with an orchestra]. Ike hears the song and tells Tina she did a good job, but you know Ike isn't going to let Tina off that easy. YOU'RE A DEAD WOMAN IF YOU STAY Tina is not the only victim to suffer at the hands of Ike's sadistic wrath. Ike smacks Jackie, (Vanessa Bell Calloway), one of the backup singers, for defending Tina. Jackie yells to Tina, "You're a dead woman if you stay." Ike's cycle of mental and physical abuse against Tina, begins slowly. Degrading remarks, intimidation, and threats of physical harm escalate to a slap here, then a punch there, and finally rape. Ike's drug habit only intensifies his violent rage. She wears sunglasses to hide her blackened eyes or covers up her bruises with make-up. But Tina makes excuses for Ike's psychotic temper - "He's under a lot of pressure from the studios to make records" -- because she doesn't want to abandon him like her mama abandoned her. However, enough is enough. Tina calls her mother for help and a place to stay. Instead of her mother being a source of comfort, she tells her that Ike bought her a house. Tina is undeterred by her mother's money-grubbing ways because she and "all" her kids need a safe place to hide. Ike discovers Tina and the kids missing, and calls Zelma. Zelma tells Ike that Tina is on her way to her house. Ike finds her and drags her back. Ike is even unsympathetic when Tina attempts suicide. "Bitch, I will kill you if you don't make it," Ike threatens. MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL Jackie visits Tina at the hospital and tells her that she's still her friend, and to call her if she a place to stay. Tina take's Jackie up on her offer and shows up unannounced. The funniest part in the movie is when Jackie and Tina mimic Ike's sudden mood swings. Tina finally breaks down. Jackie introduces Tina to the doctrine of Buddhism and teaches her how to chant. Paraphrasing: "Everything in your life is about cause and effect. When you chant, you can see things clearly. And, when you see things clearly, you can change 'it'." ['It' represents your life, your circumstances, your surroundings, etc]. I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT MY OWN PROTECTION... Chanting and mediating centers Tina and allows her to see situations more clearly. Tina's turning point comes when she and Ike are in the limo on their way to a hotel in Texas. Tina wants to go shopping and tries walking away. Ike wants her to get to go to the hotel and he throws her into the car. The brutality of this particular beating is the final straw and Tina finally fights back. She bites, punches, kicks Ike in the groins, and says, "That's your best shot?" [WAY TO GO TINA!!!] Tina and Ike stroll into the hotel, both a bloody mess, and check-in. Tina examines her bruises in the bathroom mirror. When she comes out of the bathroom she sees Ike passed out on the sofa. She flees the hotel and runs across the highway. She sees a Ramada Inn and runs inside for safety. Tina tells the hotel manager, [paraphrasing: "I'm Tina Turner. My husband and I had a fight. I have 32 cents and a Mobil credit card in my pocket. If you would give me a room, I promise I will pay you back"]. The manager responds that it would be a honor to give her any assistance she needs. In the face of what seems a humiliating moment, Tina takes back control of her life and stops making excuses for her past and her abusive husband. NOT WITHOUT "MY NAME" Tina files for divorce. Ike blames Tina for 'his' financial debts [basically claiming only the clothes on his back]. Tina wants no financial ties or material things to keep her tied to Ike. Tina willingly gives up everything "except her name," she tells the judge. "I worked too hard for it," Tina continues. Ike argues that the Turner name as his father's name and that Tina wasn't entitled to it. The Judge rules in favor of Tina and Tina regains her dignity. CASS' FINAL THOUGHTS What's Love Got To Do With It? was based on Tina Turner's autobiography, I, Tina. So 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' and what is "It"? In Tina's case "it" was referring to getting her behind kicked everyday by a man who claimed he "loved" her. But LOVE ain't had a damn thing to do with "it". In Ike's case, "it" was about control, jealousy, physical and mental abuse. But, "Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interest, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." -1Cor. 13:4-10. [True dat. However, bearing, believing, hoping and enduring all things does not mean putting up with physical abuse, which is what Tina learns the hard way]. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were superb as Ike and Tina Turner. Even though Angela's physique was a bit too muscular for my taste, she really embodied the soul of Tina Turner. We hear Tina's voice signing throughout the movie, but Angela's mimicking mannerisms and lip-synching are flawless. Laurence's portrayal of Ike is so believable, I was convinced that Laurence would kick my ass if I didn;t do exactly what he told me to do. I was never a big Tina Turner fan until I saw What's Love Got To Do With It?. The musical arrangements combined with the perfectly choreographed dances weaved with Tina's powerful story, changed my mind. WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?: What's Love Got To Do With It? is not a typical rags to riches story. It's about the power of self-preservation and SELF-LOVE!!! back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2001 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com