Details from IMDB:
Tina
Exclusive access to the Grammy Award-winning artist to celebrate her career.
- Directors
- Writers
- Stars
Initial Thoughts:
I love 80s music, it’s what I grew up with, and anyone, like Tina Turner, who had hits then was someone I enjoyed. I’m also a huge fan of documentaries. I find it a great way to learn about a person or topic I’m interested in, so being home today due to the weather, I finally had a chance to watch this on Crave.
Main Points:
Like most people, at least those over 40, I was aware of the abuse that Tina Turner endured by her husband Ike, but I never knew all the details and the lengths she went to get away from him, the strength and the courage it must have taken and the lifelong trauma she was left with. The details, as told by Tina and one of her sons, along with clips from the movie starring Angela Bassett, were hard to watch but are so important, especially if it helps anyone else suffering from abuse realize they are not alone and they can get out. What makes it worse for Tina is how people continued to ask her about Ike and the abuse for the rest of her life. I completely understand why she moved to Switzerland and out of the public eye. Continuing to relive the worst time of her life by talking about it must have been agony. Shame on all those interviewers; they should have shown some decency.
One of the things I took away was Tina’s incredible strength and perseverance. I didn’t know that she was a Buddhist, and I found that really interesting. The idea of making a stronger connection with the universe and manifesting what you want is wonderful, and she proved it can work. She left Ike Turner with no money, no royalties, and just her name, which he also fought to take from her. How she became the world’s biggest female singer is a testament to her talent and incredible drive. She was here in Newfoundland in the 80s, and I wish I had seen her, but I was young and didn’t realize it would be my only chance.
One of the people interviewed said, “What’s wrong with Americans?” he was talking about why the “River Deep-Mountain High” album wasn’t well received, and it made me think of something different that happened this week with a Star Trek show (Starfleet Academy, sadly cancelled after just 2 seasons). Why don’t people appreciate it when someone does something truly special, different and progressive? Tina Turner had to do a pop song, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” before she had a solo hit; she never wanted to do pop. I don’t have the answers, of course; all I can do is say that someday we wake up as a human race and appreciate all the wonderful things artists do, not just toss them aside because they are different or challenge our views of the world.
Final Thoughts:
This documentary was split into five parts, each representing a distinct phase of Tina’s life, which I thought was a great idea. I had forgotten that she got married and was 50, and was honoured one last time with a musical about her life. Tina’s attitude of forgiveness is wonderful to see. Despite the horrific things Ike did to her, she forgave him. I don’t think many people would be able to do that. It was great to see her overcome so many obstacles and find happiness in life. The interviews were excellent (especially the People magazine one from 1981), and showing the house she and Ike lived in was a nice touch, hammering home what happened there for so many years. This film showed what it means to be strong, how happiness can be a long and difficult journey, but ultimately one we can always reach with the right people to help lead the way. Excellent documentary, I give it a solid 8 out of 10. I would have liked more on her solo music career, but as it was almost 2 hours, I can see edits had to be made. This is for ages 18+ and contains coarse language and mature subject matter. I highly recommend this to anyone who can handle the subject matter and see what a truly great person Tina was; you’ll be glad you did.