On February 14, the new Bob Marley: One Love movie was released in theaters. This new musical/drama is about the life of Bob Marley, a popular Jamaican singer and songwriter. In the movie, Bob Marley is played by actor Kingsley Ben-Adir. It begins in 1976, when Jamaica was experiencing political violence. Marley quickly became a popular figure for democratic reforms as he spread love and positivity to his supporters in this tough time. Marley’s speciality was reggae music. His group, Bob Marley and The Wailers, sang about unity, justice, spirituality, politics, and how Jah (Judeo-Christian God) affected their lives. His goal was to bring the people of Jamaica together, and he did just that by becoming a symbol of his country and the leading face of reggae music.
Junior Cole Johansen explains, “I like how the Bob Marley movie shows how inspirational he was to Jamaican culture. I’ve always loved his music and I think the movie really helped to share the lasting impact he made.”
As Marley kept making music, his fan base grew stronger. He went from peace concerts in Jamaica to stages all around the world. His career progressed fast and he eventually moved to the United States to spread his message on tour. The film highlights the storytelling in his music and how he kept a calm approach despite any problems in his life and country. His neutrality is what attracted people towards his music.
Even though Marley’s life was short-lived, this movie focuses more on his music and impact rather than his personal life. Marley was a Rastafarian (a religion in Jamaica) and his life was based around Jah. Although, Rastafari was his lifestyle rather than just his religion. He used spirituality in his music and everyday life with the people around him.
Junior Jazmin Ruiz says, “I really enjoyed this movie and I think it really portrayed his life well. I didn’t know a lot of Bob Marley’s story before watching so I’m glad I got to learn more about him as a person and what he did for others.”
Movies and documentaries based on Marley’s life were attempted several times in the past, but Bob Marley: One Love was made with the help of his real family. One of his many sons and famous actor Ziggy Marley, helped produce the movie. In an interview with Deadline he explained, “We wanted to really show the internal struggles and the emotional side of Bob much more than anything has ever shown us before.” This dream was finally able to come to life in the new film.
