Directed by none other than Reinaldo Marcus Green, known for his most recent work in the biopic “King Richard” starring Will Smith, “Bob Marley: One Love” portrays the legendary and inspirational life of Bob Marley. Kinglsey Ben-Adir takes on the role of Bob Marley. Lashana Lynch does an amazing job playing the captivating role of Bob Marley’s wife, Rita Marley. Biopic films play a pivotal role in preserving the legacies of extraordinary individuals such as Bob Marley. They help younger folks understand ways of life in different points in time, and in this case, how important art was in that time period. This movie review dives into the portrayal of Bob Marley’s life and legacy in the latest film, “Bob Marley: One Love.”
In the words of Bob Marley’s eldest son, Ziggy Marley, when asked about the production of his father’s movie in a Billboard News interview, Ziggy had high praise for the actor playing his father, saying “[Kingsley Ben-Adir] did a great job in a artful way not to try to mimic my father.” Given Kingsley and Lashana’s British background, the production team made an effort to ensure an authentic experience by casting the majority of supporting actors as native Jamaicans. Ziggy further mentions that while shooting the movie, most scenes were captured in the very locations where Bob Marley himself had been, a detail that many consider quite special. With this said, the focus shifts to Bob Marley’s international influence.
Bob Marley had a massive international influence. Before this movie, most people in my generation, born after his death, knew of Bob Marley but did not know his message. I am grateful this movie exists because for individuals like myself who did not fully grasp Bob Marley’s identity and his impactful message, it is crucial that his life and the influence it had on others is shared. This ensures that his legacy and message continue to resonate among future generations. Speaking of influence, I do not believe the movie truly encompasses Bob Marley’s influence on the world.
Yes, in the movie, there is the notion that Bob Marley was a big figure in Jamaica, but it does not fully show how big he was across the world. For instance, his influence on major artists such as Lucky Dube, a South African reggae artist, among many others who got their inspiration almost exclusively from Bob Marley, is not mentioned at all in the movie. Exhibit B – In May 1984, about three years after Bob Marley’s death, a “Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits Compilation” named “Legend” was released into the world. As of February 2024, it has been on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 for 820 weeks. The second longest run of any album/compilation of all time. For reference, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson is No. 10. I do not believe that this magnitude is captured in the film.
The hope is this movie will inspire people to do their own research on how a young kid named Bob, raised by a single mother and a neglectful father, in one of the roughest parts on an island called Jamaica, managed to take a genre of music with a funny name like “reggae” in Jamaica and bring it to a global scale. And the cherry on top? Despite encountering all sorts of violence, crime, and gang-related activities, his music’s only message is that of peace and love.
All in all, I would definitely recommend watching the movie. Could it have been better? Absolutely! But the truth is, one hour and 47 minutes was not nearly enough time to truly capture the essence of who Bob Marley was and as a result, a lot of context and key information was missed.
Information like the fact that Bob Marley had 12 kids by the age of 33. Or the fact that Bob Marley had multiple affairs with different women outside of his marriage with Rita Marley, and that his father was a 60-year-old man who had a child with an 18-year-old woman and became absent for most of Bob Marley’s life.
While it is simple to scrutinize every detail of the portrayal of the remarkable Bob Marley in this movie, what stands out is their understanding of his core message, leaving space for the curious souls of the world to dive deep and do some research about his legacy.
