Marley

It is more than 30 years since Reggae legend Bob Marley died, yet his songs such as One Love, Buffalo Soldier and No Woman No Cry continue to sell, seen by many as anthems of love and peace. There have been numerous documentaries and autobiographies of the Jamaican singer-songwriter over the years, but a new film directed by Kevin Macdonald and executive-produced by Ziggy Marley and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell seems to be the first true act of homage to the Rastafarian star and musical hero.

The premiere was held in Emancipation Park, Kingston, Jamaica on 19th April 2012. Admission was free: a gift to the people of Jamaica from Marley’s family. Thousands of locals arrived to celebrate the nation’s hero, and a red, green and gold carpet was laid out (but then quickly replaced as it was deemed sacrilegious to walk over the colours of the Rastafari). The premiere of the film was timed to coincide with the preparation of Jamaica’s 50 years of independence celebrations, highlighting exactly what one small nation achieve.

This respectful film oozes warmth as the testimony Macdonald receives from Marley’s friends, family and fellow band members provides curious insight. All in all, the film gives a vivid picture of a man who rose from poor beginnings in Trench Town to become an international legend. The imagery within the film is colourful and fantastic, with Macdonald showing some wonderful still photographs of the Wailers on tour. Moreover, while Macdonald tells a compelling story of the life of Marley, the singer is placed at the centre of a larger narrative – the story of Jamaica itself and its struggle against gangsterism and crime.

It is not the people we come to play... We come to play music.

Bob Marley

Marley was born the son of a white man who disappeared soon after. His mother, Cedella Booker, was an Afro-Jamaican who brought up Bob on her own. Many have stated that Marley’s mixed-race background gave him an outsider’s edge and a passion to get ahead. This, mixed with his private pain, created great music. His first single, recorded when he was just 16 years old, was Judge Not: "I know that I'm not perfect/ And that I don't claim to be/ So before you point your fingers/ Be sure your hands are clean”, highlights the singer’s emotional intensity, even at such a young age.

Marley emerges from this film as a passionate supporter of peace, yet reluctant to be associated with politicians. Macdonald includes the famous moment at a free concert when Bob dragged the socialist Michael Manley on stage to shake hands publicly with the conservative leader Edward Seaga; a moment which defines Marley’s strife for peace. Furthermore, the director includes other moments in Jamaican history, such as the hysteria caused by the arrival of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1966, to the public mourning of Marley’s death in 1981. "He was a hero for Jamaica," said one fan, who attended Thursday's screening. "The film shows that." Another fan said "It showed what a positive effect he had on the country".

What is so interesting about this film is how it manages to celebrate how Marley is perceived as an icon of peace, while also depicting a much more in-depth and political mind. Indeed, stereotype often paints Marley and Jamaica as dreamy, sunny and laidback; the film instead highlights Marley as a driven, competitive and charismatic leader, who, while being political, was never boxed in by politics. Macdonald suggests that Bob Marley was increasingly loved due to his surviving idealism and charismatic innocence of the world. Cindy Breakspeare, a former Miss World and mother of Damian Marley, said the film was an emotional journey. "We miss him so much," she said. "The whole world does."

All in all, Marley is a very personal and intimate film, gifting the world with an authentic portrait of a singer-songwriter from the slums of Trench Town, and as the credits rolled, the opening bars of Get Up, Stand Up echoed through the Park, bringing the audience to their feet. As Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records states, “You learn about this man whose music you hear everywhere, you learn how he started the difficult life he had and how he treated people, his generosity of spirit, just about the man in general”. The Marley name now stretches beyond music. It has become a global brand, used to sell diverse products such as clothing and headphones, and to promote the Rastafarian ideal of peace. So, this film may be the beginning of a wider knowledge of Bob, as a man as well as a musician. “The film doesn’t commodity Marley,” says Macdonald. “It does the reverse…it strips away the poster image, the t-shirt image and says, ‘Who was Bob Marley?”