Bob Marley: One Love is currently in theaters. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green gave us an interview to talk regarding his musical biopic dedicated to the king of Reggae.
Bob Marley: One Love, the first biopic dedicated to the king of Reggae, has been in cinemas since Wednesday February 14. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (The Williams Method) and produced by the singer’s family, his children Ziggy & Cedella and his wife Rita Marley (played by Lashana Lynch in the film), Bob Marley: One Love looks back on private life and the career of the singing icon who introduced reggae across the world, during his almost 20-year career, and inspired generations with his message of love and unity.
The feature film does not retrace the complete life of Bob Marley but focuses on a specific period. The film begins in December 1976 when Nesta is scheduled to perform on stage at the Smile Jamaica concert to unite the nation.
Two days before the concert, the singer and his family were victims of an assassination attempt. The film shows how this attack marked the life and work of Bob Marley and forced him into exile. A London exile during which he composed with his group The Wailers, the album Exodus, named best album of the 20th century by Time Magazine in 1998.
And it is the actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, already seen in Les Enquêtes de Véra, Peaky Blinders, The OA, Barbie and Secret Invasion who slips into the skin of Bob Marley. A role which required the actor 8 months of preparation.
On the occasion of the theatrical release of Bob Marley: One Love, we spoke with director Reinaldo Marcus Green who told us that he had always loved Bob Marley’s songs without ever really understanding their meaning, but – thanks to this film – understood the message of union and love that runs through Bob Marley’s work.
Paramount
Bob Marley : One Love
AlloCiné: How did you come to direct the first biopic dedicated to Bob Marley?
Reinaldo Marcus Green: The first draft of the script, written by Terence Winter and Frank E. Flowers, was given to me. At the time, I hadn’t yet realized that no film regarding Bob Marley had been made and so I didn’t want to open the script right away because it was too good to be true.
I asked my agent to set me up with the producers of the film, who happened to be Robert Teitel and Ziggy Marley. Ziggy answered my first call, and I thought it must be true.
I immediately asked if they had the rights to Bob Marley’s music because it is essential for a musical film. They had them and that’s when I started to seriously look into it. I wasn’t sure if I was the right person, but having Ziggy’s support seemed like a good reason to take things very seriously.
The film had to focus on a specific part of Bob Marley’s life.
And at that point, I told them that the script needed to be reworked. It was a great skeleton, but we really had to figure out what part of Bob Marley’s life we were going to tell. The film had to focus on a specific part. I then called on Zach Baylin with whom I had already collaborated on The Williams Method. We then embarked on a sort of year-long journey to rewrite the script and find the casting.
AlloCiné: What did you think when you saw Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley for the first time?
Reinaldo Marcus Green: I had watched several hundred thousand tapes, and to be quite frank, no one was close to Bob. There were some really good actors but they just weren’t right for the role.
Paramount Pictures
Kingsley Ben-Adir
I was looking for someone very specific. Not necessarily someone who looked like him, someone who had certain attributes that seemed really important to me. Bob was a mixed race of Jamaican and Caucasian descent, so we needed a mixed race person.
When I saw Kingsley’s essays I found him unique. Even the way he filmed himself was clever: a three-quarter profile. He didn’t give me too much, but enough. And he had that little something extra. That’s kind of what all directors are looking for. Immediately you think, “Wow, there’s something here.”
Kingsley had that little something extra.
And what he did was really give an interpretation of Bob Marley, he didn’t imitate him. A lot of actors were doing impersonations or being carbon copies, and I didn’t want a carbon copy of Bob Marley. There’s only one, and we can’t find him.
But Kingsley helped me find what I needed for this film. He helped me see that there was a way to get into this character without imitating him. From that moment on, I had to imagine him with dreads and prosthetics, and I asked myself what I was going to do, what we were going to do with him, to transform him.
Paramount Picutres Kingsley Ben-Adir and the director on the set of Bob Marley: One Love
AlloCiné: How did the collaboration go with the Marley family who produced the film?
Ziggy Marley was there from the start, he was the one who hired me. Then I met Rita, Cedella and Stephen. So I met all the Marleys who were involved in the film. Ziggy was a huge help. He was available to me almost every time. Whether it was costume design or set design, I might ask him what the houses looked like…
And I had at my disposal archive images which are not accessible to the public. We had access to friends of the Marley family. to music, to unpublished pieces too. It was a real treasure trove of information, knowledge and resources. Having that access was incredible. Not just for me, but also for the actors.
It was a real treasure trove of information.
And then just being able to see Ziggy on set was a big help. The way he walks, his mannerisms, his postures… I think that was immensely helpful for everyone on set. The Marley family is imbued with spirituality. They carry their father’s legacy so it’s been a real asset for me and for the whole team.
AlloCiné: In your opinion, why is Bob Marley still, more than 40 years following his death, a symbol of love and peace?
Bob Marley had the ability to connect to humans in a way that very few people on the planet can. What he sang, his music, his messages of love, peace and unity came from the heart because he spoke of his experiences. He carried his burden to give us this gift that is his music. That’s how he was. There are people who are like that.
Paramount Picutres
Bob Marley : One Love
And that’s why it’s still an icon today. His message will stand the test of time. His music will stand the test of time. He had this unique ability to connect with people on a very deep emotional level. And that’s because he was sincere.
AlloCiné: It’s crazy to think that 40 years later, the lyrics of his songs are still relevant…
His texts are all the more relevant as the world becomes more and more divided and prey to discord. His message is as important today as it was 40 years ago. And it is constantly evolving. And that is the mark of a true legend.
AlloCiné: What is your favorite Bob Marley song?
It’s “Redemption Song.” This song particularly touches me. It became the common thread, the thesis of this film, in many ways. It’s a very emotional song for me.
Before this film I didn’t understand what he was singing regarding.
AlloCiné: This film is a tribute to his legacy, but it also speaks of redemption. What would you like people to keep in mind following watching the film?
Just what he sang regarding. Before this film I had heard Bob Marley’s songs hundreds of times but realized I didn’t know much regarding him or his music. I knew the rhythm and the melody and I danced to it, but I didn’t understand what he was singing, what his lyrics meant.
So I hope this film will bring you closer to the words and the man. Personally, I like it even more today. And there is still so much to discover regarding Bob. This is impossible in the time we had to do it. But we hope we’ve discovered things that will be new and eye-opening for people, as they were for me.
