Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review

“Bob Marley: One Love” is a biographical movie about the talented Jamaican artist who brought reggae music to a higher level. He was instrumental in bringing the rhythmic beats into popular culture. The Marley family were key contributors to the production of this movie. So, it was their way of showing Bob their ‘One Love’…

Bob Marley (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir) is a popular reggae artist in Jamaica during 1976. He and his wife Rita Marley (played by Lashana Lynch) live in a country torn with violence. The country had just split off from control by Great Brittan. But there are political parties backed by differing street gangs. Government police are cruel and harass almost everybody in the streets.

Bob and Rita are able to live a fairly nice house owned by the Island Records manager. His name is Chris Blackwell (played James Norton), and he has turned Bob into an international sensation. Bob and his backup bad, the Wailers, have been popular across the globe. Even Eric Clapton has covered one of Bob’s songs. Bob would like to do something that would bring unity to Jamaica.

He plans out a free concert for Jamaican peace and unity. Bob and band are working out the details, and he hears about some trouble in the streets. One of the rival street gangs has it out for Bob, and they plan a terrible fate for the reggae artist. One night, there is an attack on the house where he lives, and Bob is shot. He and his road manager, Don Taylor (played by Micheal Ward), are hit by gunfire. Rita is also shot.

Bob Marley has no fear of the gangs or of the politicians. Rita has survived, and Bob was wounded. Don has taken a little bit more damage. But it is still not enough to have him call off the big “Smile Jamaica” concert. His fame and stature rises, but the local powers in Jamaica see him more of a threat than ever before. His friend and record label manager, Chris Blackwell, convinces Bob to take himself and the band out of the country.

Bob Marley and the Wailers head over to London. This is a distinctly different atmosphere than in the hot, humid climate of Jamaica. At first, Rita heads over to the U.S. to live in Delaware with the kids. Chris and Bob work together to make a new album. They are able to use top-quality recording studios, so Bob wants to put out something that will be world-changing.

Bob has been involved with the Rastafarian religion for most of his life. He believes that God has put him here on Earth for a specific purpose. That should be reflected in his music, and in his life. He puts together new music and songs for an album that he wants to call ‘Exodus”.

He and the band are ready to play a series of concerts in Africa. The record company executives have no understanding of why the album is so important to Bob. Rita is able to come over to London and spend time with Bob, and to sing with the band again.

Bob puts aside the road trip to Africa, and instead plays a series of sold-out concerts in Europe. The album is released and tops the charts. This proves the studio heads wrong, once again. Chris Blackwell has stood beside Bob all along the way. He knew that Bob has the best ideas in mind for his music. The pesky studio executives once again see that Bob Marley has a way to make music that the world wants to hear.

All of this time in London is dull and dreary. So Bob and the boys take time out to play soccer in the park. One day, a player steps on Bob’s toe. It hurts quite a bit, but Bob does not let that stop him from playing and performing on stage. But this bad toe injury does not seem to be getting any better. Bob goes in to see a doctor. It is then when he gets some bad news.

Bob Marley finds out that he has a rare form of cancer. The toe injury was not healing because the cancer was getting worse. If the big toe were to be amputated, Bob might be able get a handle on the cancer. But that would also mean the end of Bob being able to perform for the audience at the level that he is used to. No way is he going to lose any body parts.

The situation in Jamaica by 1978 had cooled down quite a bit. The political strife eased down and the major gang leaders had been put into prison. There was one more major concert to be held in Jamaica to support unity in the country. It was called the “One Love Peace Concert”, and people convinced Bob and the band to come back to Jamaica to perform another time. Bob Marley ended the concert by having the leaders of the two fighting political parties join him on stage and raising their hands in unity.

“Bob Marley: One Love” is movie with a focus on showing Bob at his best. The man had character flaws and some womanizing tendencies. He fathered a few children out-of-wedlock. But, with the major input from the Marley Family, this view of the man’s life is narrowed to a short time period and touches on the highest points. If there is any dirt on this subject – it is purely by accident.

Kingsley Ben-Adir does an impressive turn as the Jamaican reggae icon. His looks and demeanor, and his dreadlocks, are really keyed into the real Bob Marley. He and Lashana Lynch, who plays Rita, do a very good job to portray a couple who have some squabbles – but mostly are very supportive of each other. The authentic use of Jamaican dialects gives the movie another level of truthfulness. However, it could be very helpful to have had some Jamaican-English to English subtitles available!

The movie has a couple of points where it does flashbacks to when Bob was a young child. There are also some times when both Bob and Rita are teenagers. It shifts the time periods back-and-forth a few times, but not so often that it becomes distracting. This does break the continuity of the movie overall, and that is a point against it. The scenes with the band is performing are very well done. It shows the energy and effort that Bob Marley would put into connecting with this audience.

“Bob Marley: One Love” is a solid contribution to the legacy of the reggae music icon. With a lot of input from his surviving family, this is small sample of the “One Love” they all feel for their father.