In his Bob Marley: One Love review, Kevin Bourne, aka KB The Boss, says the film is a reminder of Marley’s message which is as timely as ever.
Both film and music fans are eagerly awaiting one of the most highly anticipated biopics in recent memory with the release of Bob Marley: One Love. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and James Norton as record producer and Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell, and produced byCedella Marley, Orly Marley, Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Brad Pitt, Bob Marley: One Love tells the story of Marley’s rise from childhood in St. Ann Parish in the Jamaican countryside to global icon whose message and music still live on today.
What is interesting about the film is how the story is told, including what they chose to include and not include. The film mentions Marley’s relationships with other women, and Rita’s relationships with other men as a result of sometimes feeling alone, but doesn’t give them much screen time, instead electing to focus on Bob and Rita Marley’s relationship, one built on love, friendship and mutual respect, as the driving force behind the movement.
It also highlights Marley’s conversion to Rastafarianism, and Rita’s role in leading him to the faith, and the importance of his faith to his mission and message. Today, many have made a caricature of Bob Marley and Rastafarianism on a whole, with an emphasis on smoking marijuana and phrases like “eh mon”. The film does a good job of giving context for the practice of smoking while showing that Marley’s life and mission was so much bigger than that.
It provides a awe-inspiring glimpse into the creation of some of Marley’s greatest songs and bodies of work, from the Exodus album to songs like “Jammin” and “Turn Your Lights Down Low”. It also does a great job of showing Bob and Rita grappling with their newfound international stardom and the pressure of staying true to the mission and message while spreading them to new audiences, including the elites and world leaders.
But even closer to home, for those of us of Caribbean heritage, it’s also a rare depiction of Caribbean culture on the big screen. Caribbean culture is rarely given the Hollywood treatment and when it does, it’s comedic with butchered accents, showing Caribbean people as a caricature of themselves. Meanwhile, Bob Marley: One Love portrays Caribbean culture with authenticity and dignity. Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch are believable in their portrayals of Bob and Marley Marley and the love they shared, and director Reinaldo Marcus Green did an excellent job of telling their story set within the political hostility and violence of the times.
While it would’ve been nice to see the film explore more of Marley’s upbringing in St. Ann Parish and perhaps his relationship with former Miss World Cindy Breakspeare, in the end it was the Marley family’s story to tell and they told their way.
Bob Marley: One Love is love, unity and peace personified and an intimate look at the man, music and message that changed the world. and a source of pride for Jamaican and Caribbean people. It’s one of the best depictions of Caribbean culture that we’ve seen on the big screen to date. But even more, it’s a great reminder that Marley’s legacy is more than marijuana and some of the other caricatures we’ve made of his faith and nationality; it’s about the message of peace and unity, which is just as relevant and timely today as it was over 40 years ago,
Bob Marley: One Love hits theatres February 14, 2024.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 310 international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE PREMIERES AT STAR-STUDDED EVENT IN JAMAICA