BOB MARLEY: One Love
Bob Marley: One Love, honourably follows the new biopic criteria that’s been set in films such as Capote and Lincoln, as it explores the life of the greatest reggae artist of all time.
Focusing solely on the years 1976-1978, the film unfortunately ignores Marley’s rise to fame in Jamaica and his contributions to the formation of reggae’s inside-out rock ‘n’ roll sound, and the origins in Scat, Rocksteady, and R&B.
The film begins in 1976, with Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir), a lanky and stunning figure with bouncing dreadlocks, preparing to play a peace concert in Kingston. Well on his way to becoming a popular artist, he attempts to eradicate the violence that has plagued Jamaican politics. Jamaica is a post-colonial quagmire, a battleground where various political factions and gang lords compete for control of territory. Even Marley cannot handle the savagery.
Because it’s the first major reggae bio-pic in Hollywood, I was particularly interested in learning about the genre’s spectacular climb to fame. The film’s disregard for the subject matter, as well as its turning of blazing songs like Get Up, Stand Up, and Jamming, into bland needle drops, are all mystifying and frustrating.
Bob Marley: One Love, meanders on much too long, seeming like the gloomy, neurotic third act of a standard old-fashioned biopic —plagued by his own notoriety and grappling with an identity crisis —embellished out to fill a full two-hour movie.
The film does not reveal as much information on Bob Marley and neglects to adequately explain the enigma surrounding his rising journey. Rita (played by Lynch) is the most realistic character in the film. Her affection for Marley and empathy for his suffering are heartfelt. The Marley we see, on the other hand, is nearly faultless, with the exception of an episode in which he savagely beats his manager for attempting to profit from an African tour. On the other hand, Ben-Adir, stands out with the elegance of a Hollywood star-good looks and all-and embodies Marley, effectively depicting his messianic lilt and the hilarious way of masking his honest intentions.
When he dances on stage, engulfed in the beats like a rag-doll, revolutionary, Ben-Adir’s Marley is mesmerising — a real pop star, unlike other pop stars, he evokes a power greater than himself.
As a pre-teen in a troubled South Africa during the late 1980s, hearing reggae music seeping from my older brother’s room, piqued my interest in the legend and the message he brought to our lives. After watching Bob Marley: One Love and feeling slightly edified, I am ultimately left with more questions than answers.
-Dirk Lombard Fourie