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- What Is Bob: Marley One Love About?
- What the Biopic Fails to Address
- Bob Marley Derseves Better
As a music enthusiast and a connoisseur of biographical films, I must say that “Bob Marley: One Love” left me feeling less than enamored. Having grown up listening to Bob Marley’s music and learning about his impact on global culture, I was hoping for a more nuanced portrayal of the man behind the legend.
In February 2024, the unexpected blockbuster movie “Bob Marley: One Love” captured hearts around the globe. Although it grossed approximately $180 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), many viewers felt that it was a typical biopic, failing to provide a comprehensive depiction of Bob Marley’s life. Despite Kingsley Ben-Adir’s captivating performance as the lead character, the film presents a simplified and sanitized version of Bob Marley’s life story, focusing more on portraying him as an uplifting role model who overcame poverty in Jamaica to reach international fame.
The film’s straightforward approach seems to oversimplify the multi-layered essence of Bob Marley, which undermines his legendary complexity. Notably absent is engaging high-stakes drama, leaving the production feeling more like a promotional music video for Bob Marley than an authentic biographical film that delves into what truly drove him as a person and artist. With the movie now streaming on Prime Video, we can conduct a thorough analysis to identify where things went awry in the making of this biopic.
What Is Bob: Marley One Love About?
In the hands of director Marcus Reinaldo Green, the film Bob Marley: One Love presents a musical biography that steers clear of the typical cradle-to-grave narrative, yet leaves audiences feeling unfulfilled with its one-dimensional portrayal. The story focuses on a five-year span in the life of Reggae icon Bob Marley (Ben Adir), from 1976 to 1981. Set against the backdrop of Jamaica, we find Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley (Lashana Lynch) barely escaping an assassination attempt in a politically tense environment. In their efforts to foster peace, they perform at the Smile Jamaica peace rally, but soon after, Marley relocates his family to Delaware and his band to London. This gripping tale of a musical legend unfolds amidst personal struggles, political upheaval, and an unyielding pursuit of harmony.
In the heart of London, Marley grapples with creative blocks as he searches for fresh concepts for his upcoming album. He seeks advice from Rita in this endeavor. Notably, Marley and his band created their smash album Exodus in London, a move that significantly expanded the global Reggae and Rastafarian movement. As they reached unprecedented fame, they embarked on tours across Europe and Africa. However, Bob’s relationship with Rita began to deteriorate, with their growing distance largely overlooked in the film. The movie then delves into Marley’s struggle with skin cancer, a condition triggered by an unattended fungal infection in his toenail, albeit glossing over some stereotypical musical scenes and contrived emotional moments.
In the first half of the film, there’s a sense of optimism. However, the third act becomes somber as Marley bravely struggles with cancer and argues with his manager about finances. The ending, which feels contrived, shows Marley making amends with Rita, his band, and the man who attempted to kill him earlier. In a questionable attempt at resolution, Marley expresses forgiveness by stating “I keep no vengeance” before performing One Love in a seemingly insincere group hug moment.
What the Biopic Fails to Address
In a biopic focusing on just five years in the life of a legendary musical figure such as Bob Marley, the film One Love appears overly simplified, glossing over complexities, and seems to be more of a tribute or idolization than an accurate portrayal. The term hagiography is used to describe biographies that venerate their subjects, which fits well with how One Love operates. Essentially, the movie elevates and reveres Marley instead of presenting him authentically, prioritizing his deification over exposing his flaws and vulnerabilities.
In the movie, there are hardly any detailed explorations or even mentions of some darker aspects of Marley’s life. For example, his numerous children with eight different women receive only fleeting attention, which seems to downplay his frequent infidelity since Rita was already aware of it. The film’s brief duration of 1 hour and 47 minutes leaves little room for delving into the complexities of Marley’s personal and professional life, instead rushing through predictable biopic tropes in an attempt to meet the formulaic requirements of a basic biographical film.
The rote stage montages, the dull editorial platitudes, and the stark lack of drama make for a wildly underwhelming experience. Marley fans are better off replaying an old album to recapture the vibration experienced in his presence. The lack of childhood upbringing in Trench Town and learning how to play guitar and write songs, the absence of his sickened final days, and living with his sons and daughters are completely omitted to streamline a fairly conventional biopic that is more afraid of besmirching the Marley name than telling the full, honest, truth.
Bob Marley Derseves Better
Among all musical artists, it’s challenging to find one who deserves a more authentic, stirring biographical film more than Bob Marley. Despite his flaws and indiscretions, he nearly single-handedly propelled Reggae into mainstream popularity, paving the way for others to thrive in his wake. His political activism and efforts to foster peace in Zimbabwe should not be underestimated or trivialized as they often are in films.
In my perspective, Marley’s musical impact is self-evident, but his role in elevating Jamaica as a fertile ground for music creation is undeniably significant and deserves recognition. However, it’s crucial to shed light on the complexities and darker aspects of Marley’s personality, an aspect that the movie seems to bypass in favor of commercial success. As Owen Glieberman eloquently puts it in his Variety review:
The purpose behind the latest biographical film style is to portray iconic figures in a multi-dimensional manner. However, “One Love” touches upon complexity but ultimately devolves into the triviality of idolizing its subject.
Similarly, IndieWire’s Vikram Murthi adds:
1 Love seems to trudge along with a predictable, cause-and-effect narrative that fails to shed light or engage. It’s merely watchable due to the compelling performances of Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch, who skillfully breathe life into their portrayals of Bob and Rita Marley, respectively, while the rest of the film lacks this vitality.
Even ardent supporters of the successful biopic acknowledge that its various elements don’t create a cohesive whole, as stated by David Fear from Rolling Stone.
“Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (known for ‘King Richard’) skillfully provides insightful moments, iconic scenes, and a touch of personal conflict. This blend results in a satisfying portrayal of a legendary figure that undoubtedly sparks a desire to revisit Exodus on heavy rotation. However, despite its strengths, it falls short of fully capturing the essence of the legend.”
I found that One Love didn’t quite capture the complexity of the legendary musician Bob Marley. The film seemed more like an appreciation of his music rather than a comprehensive portrayal of his life, encompassing both its triumphs and tribulations, both on and off the stage.
Bob Marley: One Love is available to stream on Prime Video.
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2024-08-15 06:01