Bob Marley was a legendary Jamaican singer-songwriter who became an international icon with his unique blend of reggae, ska, and rocksteady music. His music was infused with love, peace, and social justice messages, making him a cultural ambassador and a symbol of hope for millions worldwide.
In February 2024, a movie titled One Love was released, chronicling Bob Marley’s life and legacy. The film explored his rise to fame, struggles, and enduring influence on music and culture. The movie was set against the backdrop of Jamaica’s vibrant music scene and featured a soundtrack of Marley’s greatest hits. One Love was directed by a renowned filmmaker, Reinaldo Marcus Green, who sought to capture the essence of Marley’s life and music while shedding light on the social and political issues he addressed in his songs.
The movie aimed to showcase Bob Marley’s essence, yet it was an uninspired attempt to bring his impact alive. One Love received a mere 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.5/10 rating on IMDb. Many viewers found the film needed more power and complexity, failing to capture the essence of Bob Marley’s life. It was unable to show his impact on social issues, in addition to him becoming the first Jamaican artist to achieve international fame with an album that sold over 20 million copies and went platinum. The film felt like a mockery of his legacy. The movie showed clips of Bob Marley’s performances, highlighting the disparity between the film and the singer.
Bob Marley’s biopic One Love failed to live up to its title. The film mostly spoke about the events that led to the concert named after and inspired by the song “One Love”, but it barely addressed the song itself. It felt rushed and failed to address essential aspects of Marley’s life, such as his writing process, his efforts to unite different people through his music, and his fight for Black independence against British colonialism. The biopic only focused on two years of Marley’s life, between 1976 and 1978, and highlighted the violence in Jamaica during that time. It also briefly covered his album Exodus and failed to include pivotal moments in Marley’s life, such as his personal experiences with poverty and inequality in Jamaica. Marley grew up in a low-income family in the rural village of Nine Mile and witnessed the struggles of his fellow Jamaicans. He saw “One Love” as promoting social justice and equality. However, the movie failed to provide the background information that led him to make such a huge decision. The film could have been better written and provided snippets of performances and moments in Marley’s life. It missed the opportunity to showcase the depth and complexity of Marley’s music and message and his impact on Jamaica and the world.
Another thing the movie should have done was proper casting. The actor who played Bob Marley, Kingsley Ben-Adir, isn’t Jamaican but British of both English and Trinidadian descent. This disappointed much of the viewership, who felt the opportunity for Jamaican representation in actors could have been better. Additionally, the actor’s height of 6’1″ does not match Marley’s height of 5’7″, a slight detail that the directors could have corrected. It is vital to ensure proper representation in film and accurately portray the person’s cultural identity and physical attributes.
However, the 2024 movie One Love did attempt to represent Jamaican culture and religion to an extent. It showcased the music genre of reggae, which originated in Jamaica and is deeply rooted in the Rastafarian faith. The movie displayed Marley’s connection to the Rastafari movement and his beliefs in its principles of equality, justice, and love. The film highlighted the importance of spirituality in Jamaican culture and how it influenced Marley’s music. One Love also portrayed ganja, regarded as a sacrament in Rastafarianism, as a symbol of rebellion and spiritual enlightenment. However, the film could have delved deeper into the significance of Rastafarianism in Jamaica’s culture and its impact on Marley’s life and music.
In conclusion, One Love failed to capture the essence and depth of Bob Marley’s life and legacy. The movie was criticized for lacking complexity, inadequate representation, and failure to address essential aspects of Marley’s life and music. Although the film attempted to showcase Jamaican culture and religion, it fell short of presenting Rastafarianism and its impact on Marley’s life and music. Overall, the movie missed the opportunity to showcase Marley’s message of love, peace, and social justice, which made him a cultural ambassador and an icon for millions worldwide.
