WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

US, 1993, 118 minutes, Colour.
Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne.
Directed by Brian Gibson.

What's Love Got To Do With It? is a strong biography of Tina Turner, the singer-entertainer who became a legend in her own lifetime. The film, directed by Brian Gibson (Breaking Glass, The Josephine Baker Story) is vigorous in its presentation of the young Anna Mae's Tennessee background, her coming to the city, her shyness, meeting with Ike Turner and singing with him, the tempestuous marriage, his drug addiction and brutality, her raising of her children. It shows a strong spirit and a re-emergence as an entertainer in the early '80s, a rock and roll star, even though a grandmother.

The film is acted with appropriate reticence and with verve by Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner, an unsympathetic role. James Reyne appears briefly as Tina Turner's agent of the '80s and '90s.

The film is in the biography vein - poor start, early troubles, success, difficulties, the confrontation of the difficulties and success. The film also traces the history of singing and television entertainment from the '50s to the '90s and reproduces a number of Ike and Tina Turner songs - culminating in the title song. The film is encouraging insofar as it shows that someone can overcome such great difficulties - rather than the stories of so many black entertainers who were crushed by show business, by prejudice, by their own personal troubles.

1.Tina Turner, her popularity, reputation, making a movie about her in her lifetime?

2.The traditions of the entertainment biography: the hardships, difficulties of growing up, initial success, artistry? The difficulties of a black woman and her overcoming difficulties against women, against black entertainers? The artist, overcoming problems and self-assertion?

3.The title and Tina Turner's tempestuous marriage and career with Ike Turner? The purpose of the lotus Buddhist quotation at the beginning of the film? The Buddhist themes and meditation throughout?

4. A portrait of the varieties of entertainment in the second half of the 20th century: bands and singing, halls, theatre, television, films?

5. Tina Turner's success story, an American story, success against all odds? Ike and Tina's songs? Tina's other successes.

6. The background in Tennessee? The vivacious child in the choir and people's reactions? Family life and the death in the family? Its consequences? Her grandmother and decisions?

7.Anna Mae and her arrival in St Louis, the bus trip, her absent mother and meeting her again? Her relationship with her sister? The rules in the house, style, her age, getting a job, going to the club? Seeing Ike Turner and the infatuation, rehearsing at home, singing at the club and the impact? Ike's visit to her and to her mother? Success, the songs, the records, the relationship with Ike?

8.The relationship: submission, sexual encounters, love on her part, dependence? The experience with the girl who committed suicide? The years and her work, children? The increasing physical abuse? Her covering up? Her friendship with Jackie - and her knowing the truth? The violence, the public humiliations? Her returning? Staying with him over the years? The importance of her music? The external impressions? Ike and drugs, the band? Public success, television? Her taking the children - and her mother ringing Ike? The hospital? Jackie, the discussions, the principles and values?

9.The ultimate humiliation, Dallas, the fight, the brutality, her leaving, going to the hotel, her name? The divorce proceedings, the court, question of money and property? Her wanting to keep her name? Her declaration that he had earned it?

10.The portrait of her children, the older son and his drugs, taking his father's side, ultimately being beaten, returning to his mother, his warning her about the club and Ike's potential violence?

11.The portrait of Ike Turner, unflattering? His background in music, his relationship with women, the girl suiciding, his love for Anna Mae, marrying her, the kids, success? His control, chauvinist? Changing fashions, the drugs? Success on television? The growing brutality, Tina's leaving him and returning with the children, the pressures? His presumptions about how the household should be, the growing violence, the children, his anger at the divorce, the threats, the club, the gun and the confrontation at the end?

12.Life on the road, the groupies, the band and their bonding, Jackie and her work, her warnings to Anna Mae, the hospital, Anna Mae's visit to her, the Buddhist principles and communicating them to her?

13.Anna Mae's mother, selfishness, demands, betraying her to Ike?

14.The '80s and the producers, Roger and his vision, Tina and rock and roll - a new beginning and her success? Nervousness - and the performance of "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

15.A picture of the musical styles over the decades from the '50s to the '80s?

16.A human portrait, growth of a woman, an artist? The end and her achievement?