On February 14, the biopic Bob Marley: One Love was released to theaters. This movie shares the most eventful years of Marley’s career, spanning from his 1976 “Smile Jamaica” performance to his death in 1981, with occasional flashbacks to his childhood. The film allows viewers to travel along with Marley as he faces challenges with faith, fame, relationships and the music industry.
Bob Marley, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, was a Jamaican reggae singer. He left behind a legacy of impactful music, and people are now diving deeper into his life with this new biopic that sheds light on his achievements and struggles.
During the height of his career, there was an abundance of violence and political issues in Jamaica; One Love depicts his main goal of spreading peace through music on tour for his album Exodus. The film highlights negative aspects of fame, too, revealing how the tour caused tension in his marriage, with his manager and in his faith.
Following his tour, he returned to Jamaica because two leaders, Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, who were from opposing political parties, said they had been inspired by Marley’s music to come to an understanding. They wanted him to have a concert where they publicly appeared together to make it known that they were at peace to prevent further violence, a portrait of just how Marley’s music impacted the world.
Since One Love was released in theaters, there have been many controversial opinions circling among critics and audiences. While it has higher reviews on other platforms, on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 42 percent. Some critics argue the film only captured part of his career and vaguely pictured some of his upbringing and youth.
Odie Henderson, a critic from the Boston Globe, states, “This man was a national treasure. So how, in the name of all that is Irie, does Bob Marley: One Love make his story so flat, lifeless and dull?” The overall verdict of the critics is that the film did not fully encapsulate Marley’s accomplishments.
Echoing this statement, Desmond Cikacz (IV) mentions, “I think that [the] journey with trying to protect his loved ones was a very important topic [but] they could’ve shown a little more of what people were thinking of him at the time.”
Other students, however, such as Nick Miani (IV) and Connie Wu (IV), believe that the film delivered an important message, noting that what “was well represented in this film was Bob Marley using his music to really encourage the idea of peace in Jamaica and not only move people with his music but change what life means to people.”
In all, we’d rate this film an eight out of ten. Although the movie emphasized Marley’s passion for peace and all the incredible things he contributed to Jamaican society, a lot of Marley’s life was missing, such as the very beginning of his musical career and his creative process. Regardless, we feel the film did a great job of depicting the personality of Marley, his dedication to his music and his values in life.
