What's Love Got to Do with It? Review

Messages: Despite plenty of destructive behavior, the ultimate message of the film is strongly positive: Women must protect themselves and their children from abusive spousal behavior. It takes great courage and perserverance to get out of a complicated interdependent relationship, but the end result is positive and life-affirming. The Buddhist precept, "If you look in life's mirror and see yourself clearly, you can change anything," is a mantra used repeatedly to great advantage.

Role models: Tina Turner is initially seen as naive, dependent, and easily taken advantage of. Over the course of the film, she learns self-determination, wisdom, and acquires great courage and faith. There are no main male characters seen in a positive light. Ike Turner and his cronies are self-promoting, insensitive, disloyal, sex-obsessed and misogynistic. Ike, himself, is a consistent heel, never able to conquer the demons that make him violent, cruel, and self-destructive.

Violence: Several disturbing scenes of domestic violence including fierce open-handed slaps, beating with fists and a shoe, dragging, brandishing a gun, hair pulling, and choking. In all instances, results of the beatings are clearly visible: blood, swelling, abrasions, etc. In one extended terrifying scene using head shots only, Tina Turner is raped by her husband. A young woman threatens a character with a loaded gun, then moves into a bathroom from which gunshots are heard. The self-inflicted injuries do not result in death.

Sex: One prolonged love-making scene with passionate kissing, embracing, and implied full sexual intercourse. Kissing, embracing, and sensual behavior among many characters in other scenes as well. The movie vividly details Tina Turner's trademark performance persona: short, sexy clothing and lots of sensual movement and dancing.

Language: Frequent use of coarse, sexual language, usually uttered in anger and with the intent to insult and degrade. Many forms of "f--k," including "motherf--k," "s--t," "ass," "Goddamn," and numerous instances of racial slurs, including the "N" word.

Consumerism: Coca Cola, Lux soap, Trailways buses, Fairmont Hotel, Ramada Inn, A & P Markets.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Continuous drinking and smoking throughout. Characters hold bottles of beer, shots, mixed drinks and cigarettes or cigars in clubs, at parties, during musical recording sessions, relaxing at home, et al. Cocaine abuse is seen to add fuel to Ike Turner's increasingly violent and erratic behavior. Tina Turner attempts suicide using pills.