Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who became the most famous reggae musician in the world. However, he is not just the face of reggae; he is also the face of revolution and peace. While the singer ironically had weak singing pipes, that didn’t stop him from being the voice of his island.
The Movie
“Bob Marley: One Love,” directed by Reinaldo Green, is a music biopic. The movie shows Jamaica as a war-torn mess with opposing political parties and gangs fighting for territory. Marley’s goal is to heal the strife caused by Jamaican politics. This shows the accuracy and dedication put into the portrayal of Marley, since he was all about tranquility and resistance. According to Variety, Kingsley Ben-Adir, the actor of Bob Marley, “studied dozens of hours of tapes of Marley to nail every nuance of his patois.” This certainly pays off because his acting makes you believe you’re watching the real Bob Marley. Another reason why the movie felt so authentic to viewers is his son, Ziggy Marley, was one of the producers. He was there on set to make sure every part of his father’s story was told in an accurate way.
The Music
The music was terrific. Fan favorites like “No Woman No Cry,” “Redemption Song,” “Get Up Stand Up,” and obviously, “One Love” are all featured. Other than unity, Marley also used music as a way to spread his views on the Rastafarianism religion, which is based on preaching down violence and upholding morals. There was a good mix of audio between the actual Bob Marley and Adir doing his own singing. The movie touches on his time in London when he recorded the seminal album, Exodus, and his performance at the One Love peace concert.
Final thoughts
Given the very thick Jamaican accents heard throughout the movie, I suggest watching with subtitles, but otherwise, it was a wonderful film. The screenplay was great and it gave much insight into who Bob Marley was as a person. We can see Bob Marley’s influence on the music industry today, and walking out of the theater, I knew more about him than I did going in.
