In the film Bob Marley: One Love, Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley shows how he overcame hardships in his home country to become the most well-known and respected reggae artist worldwide. The experiences in his life that he expressed through his songs are shown to the audience through this film. 

An intriguing aspect of this film is how Ziggy Marley, his son, was on set and watched attentively to ensure that his father’s image and wishes were accurately depicted. He also guaranteed the war that was raging in Jamaica throughout the time of Bob Marley’s life was appropriately portrayed in the film. 

Kingsley Ben-Adir, who portrays Bob Marley, did a fantastic job with his role. Ben-Adir executed an outstanding job of capturing Marley’s mannerisms, accent, and musical performance. The scene where he is dancing in his concert, you can tell the actor was feeling the music, his dance movements did well in correlation to Marley’s.

Lashana Lynch, who plays Rita Marley also did a great job with her portrayal of her role. Both actors had beautiful voices that complimented their characters. Ben- Adir and Lynch also have amazing chemistry on screen, their on-screen interactions felt natural, believable, and dynamic. They complimented each other’s performances well, and created a sense of connection that the Real Bob and Rita Marley had. 

For those who have not learned about Caribbean history and culture (like me), the film provides context on Rastafarianism and its impact on Bob’s music-making. In the movie it’s clear that Bob Marley views his music as a way to spread the messages in the Rastafarian religion which is unity and understanding around the world. It was clear throughout the film that through his songs, Marley’s objective was to end racism, bring peace to the world and unite all of humanity. 

Watching Bob Marley’s struggles throughout the duration of his life was truly inspiring. In the film you got to see the circumstances in his life that led to some of his famous songs being written. It’s beautiful to see how these terrible experiences in his life have motivated him to write music about peace and love. Throughout the film, he continues to convey the message of peace, hope, and loving each other.