By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN —Until this week there had not been a biopic done on the life of the great reggae artist Bob Marley. That is no longer the case, as the biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” opened nationwide this past Wednesday. But for many critics the film hasn’t done what they hoped it would do, which is both provide a cinematic portrait of the legendary artist and document the rise of reggae as the dominant international music of its era and a key political and cultural force, not only in Jamaica, but worldwide. The biopic is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. This is his first project since “King Richard” starring Will Smith. Marley is played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, whose memorable roles include Malcolm X in “One Night in Miami,” and one of the Kens in “Barbie.” Lashana Lynch plays Bob’s wife Rita Marley.
A major criticism that many are leveling at the film is the decision to focus it on a small time frame in Marley’s life. The film opens in 1976, when Marley was getting ready to play a peace concert in Kingston. His goal is to heal the violent factionalism of Jamaican politics. Before the concert, a pair of gunmen break into his compound, where they shoot his wife, Rita (Lashana Lynch), in the car and attempt to assassinate Marley. The two are lucky to escape — Marley with barely a flesh wound, and Rita, though she lands in the hospital, recovering quickly.
From there, Marley lands in London. Among other things he records the LP that becomes “Exodus” and also ascends into the position of global icon. Unfortunately, if the reviews are accurate, there are many nuances and elements that the film either ignores or doesn’t delve into, most importantly the role of Rastafari in his life, the philosophy of the movement, the development of reggae as an industry and Marley’s evolution into not just a musical star, but a political and cultural icon.
Other than Men’s Journal, whose critic raved about the film, the reviews have ranged from mixed to negative. But even the most dismissive critics have hailed the performances of Ben-Adir and Lynch, and everyone agrees that it’s a good thing the film has been made, regardless of its defects. “Bob Marley – One Love” is now showing in multiple theaters in Nashville and nationwide.
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