Review of 'Bob Marley: One Love' Struggles to Capture the Music Legend's Essence

Bob Marley was born in 1945, the son of a young 18-year-old mother and an older white man who showed no interest in his offspring. Growing up in poverty, the child often slept on the cold ground. At the age of 17, after moving to Trench Town in Kingston five years earlier, he recorded his first record. Just under two decades later, Marley's life would come to an untimely end.

By then, Marley had transcended his role as just a musician. He became the face of reggae, Rastafarianism, and Jamaica, and represented revolution, resistance, and peace. His legacy comprises timeless anthems like 'Redemption Song,' 'No Woman No Cry,' 'War,' 'Trench Town Rock,' 'Get Up Stand Up,' 'Lively Up Yourself,' and 'One Love People Get Ready.' While The Beatles may have claimed to be bigger than Jesus, some believed Marley to be akin to a Messianic figure.

'Bob Marley: One Love' directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, aspires to capture Marley's magic but ultimately falls short. The film's vivid textures and focus on Marley's political awareness provide some depth, setting it apart from other recent biographical musicals.

However, the film's conventional biographical narrative structure, focused on the lead-up to a major concert with interspersed flashbacks, fails to grasp Marley's power and complexity. The real Marley's archival footage shown during the end credits starkly contrasts with the film's more stationary depiction of the legend.

Ben Kingsley-Adir captures Marley's voice beautifully, but his physical dynamism and charisma, which made Marley an enigmatic figure, are notably absent from the portrayal.

Set post-1976 shooting that injured Marley, 'One Love' follows a more introspective Marley during his self-imposed exile in London, his European tour, recording of the 1977 'Exodus,' and his eventual cancer diagnosis. The film's pacing reflects the struggle of encapsulating a man of many contradictions.

Despite its challenges, the film does achieve intimate moments, such as Marley performing 'I Shot the Sheriff' in a smoke-filled living room. These scenes resonate more than those set in public view.

The One Love Peace Concert, intended to heal a divided Jamaica, serves as the film's climax. Here Marley brings together rival political leaders on stage during his performance of 'Jammin.' Throughout the film, Marley's concern for Jamaica and similar situations worldwide is a central theme. Marley's response to executives who doubted his African tour ambitions was telling: 'We'll build it.'

The essence of 'One Love,' ultimately, is about how Marley's concerns permeated his music and message. The film recognizes Marley's community spirit, though secondary characters, such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Rita Marley, and Chris Blackwell, are underdeveloped.

While 'One Love' veers towards conventional biopic moments, its fidelity to Marley's spirit is enough to overlook some flaws. However, the musical performances lack the dynamism that Marley himself brought to the stage, which is disappointing for a movie about a legendary performer.

'Bob Marley: One Love' is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for marijuana and tobacco use, violence, and some language. Its run time is 107 minutes, and it earns two out of four stars.

reggae, biopic, legacy