The biopic that many have been waiting for: “Bob Marley: One Love,” has finally hit theaters. After looking to the internet for opinions on the film, the general consensus is not dazzling.
“One Love” recounts the life of famed reggae singer/performer, and philosopher/humanitarian, Bob Marley (and his group The Wailers). It portrays Marley as he and his band bring their album “Exodus” into fruition, an album that would be proclaimed as “the best album of the 20th century,” by Time Magazine in 1999. However, “One Love” was not all love and peace.
The film exemplifies relentless violence in Jamaica during the 1970s, violence that stemmed from political unrest and led to abundant gang involvement. After an attempted assasination of Marley as well as his band and family members, the unit left Jamaica and took Europe by storm with their musical talent.
Culminating with Marley’s “One Love Peace Concert,” where he brought together the two opposing political party leaders, audiences get a look at real clips of Marley performing and bringing peace to Jamaica through music. Marley passed away due to melanoma at the age of 36 in 1981.
I really liked this film for its story, but many took to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB to say that this was another half-baked biopic that only sheds light on the more marketable or iconic moments in Marley’s life. I do agree the film could have used more attention to detail in portraying Marley’s impact through his philosophy of love. I also think the film is a good introduction to Marley for younger audiences who may not be aware of the extent of his impact on the music industry.
My main point of contention with the film: I needed subtitles. I found it difficult to understand much of the dialogue through the characters’ thick Jamaican accents. That being said, I was still able to understand the general story and context of things.
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, and Lashana Lynch as Marley’s wife, Rita Marley, this power couple did a good job of showing the good, bad and and ugly of the Marleys’ relationship. Ben-Adir had a supporting role as Ken in “Barbie,” and Lynch can be seen in “The Woman King.” After their performances in “One Love,” I will certainly keep my eyes out for these two moving forward.
The film was developed by Paramount Pictures and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. Several of Marley’s family members were involved as producers including Ziggy and Cedella Marley, children of Bob and Rita Marley.
When the credits ended, I left the theater feeling uplifted and rather emotional. I didn’t know much about Bob Marley prior to the screening, and I’m positive there’s much more for me to learn about, but I felt inspired by his ability to cultivate peace with art. I would give “Bob Marley: One Love,” four ganja leaves out of five.
“One love, one heart … Let’s get together and feel all right.” – One Love, by Bob Marley and The Wailers.