Summary

Ziggy Marley embraces the mixed reviews of
Bob Marley: One Love
, recognizing the divide between critics and audiences.
The box office success of the biopic proves that audience reception is more crucial than critic reviews for its overall success.
Marley’s focus on spreading a message of peace through his music transcended criticism and continues to resonate with people today.

Bob Marley’s son, Ziggy Marley, responds honestly to Bob Marley: One Love’s mixed reviews from critics. Ziggy was one of the producers of the music biopic, which captures the life and legacy of reggae musician Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir). The movie follows his rise as one of the first significant reggae musicians, as well as his political legacy, given his advocacy for peace and support of the Rastafari movement. Interestingly, the movie significantly divided critics and audiences. Critic reviews were mixed but leaning towards negative, while audience reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

In an interview with Variety, Ziggy addressed critics’ mixed reviews of Bob Marley: One Love. He admitted to looking up reviews to see what people were saying about the movie. Additionally, he actually thought the divide between critics and audiences was “perfect for something representing Bob.” After all, the critic and audience division aligns with Marley’s legacy, during which he appealed more to the people than to critics, especially with his album Exodus. Check out Ziggy’s statement below:

I remember when reviews came in. It was like, ‘Let’s see what the people say.’ That was my demeanor. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is actually perfect for something representing Bob. That the critics don’t get it, but the people get it.’ It was meant to be this way. I was just going over the review of the ‘Exodus’ album. They killed it, [writing] ‘It’s terrible.’ So, the box office thing was how it was meant to be. People make the decisions, not the critics.

Why Bob Marley: One Love’s Mixed Reviews Are Perfect For Bob Marley’s Legacy

Ziggy is correct that it’s ultimately the people who decided whether Bob Marley: One Love was a success. Despite the mixed reviews from critics, audiences gave the movie stellar reviews, thus stirring public discourse and encouraging others to see it, too. Many movies have been struggling at the box office this year, but Marley’s biopic managed to break $150 million worldwide on a budget of $70 million. Critic reviews are only one facet of a movie’s success. Often, a bigger testimony to its success is whether the people like it and show up for it.

Additionally, as Bob Marley: One Love captures, Marley was never very concerned with critics’ reception. He was known for being an incredibly humble individual who never forgot his roots. Anytime he spoke about his mission and music, it was never about gaining fame, money, and recognition. Marley was mostly devoted to spreading a message of peace and speaking to people through his passion for music. Marley once said, “My life is only important if me can help plenty people.”

Marley’s album, Exodus, is now hailed as one of the greatest works of the 20th century. While it received initial acclaim, it wasn’t until decades after Exodus’ release that it was classified as a true masterpiece. It was a powerful political and cultural work that Marley penned after surviving an assassination attempt. As someone from a developing country who grew up among intense political divide, Marley poignantly captured his experiences in a way that spoke to people. Now, decades later, his legacy in Bob Marley: One Love still seems to be speaking strongly to people.

Source: Variety

Bob Marley: One Love Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bob Marley: One Love is a biographical music-drama that explores the life of Bob Marley, as portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The film highlights the ups and downs of Marley’s life and career until his untimely death in 1981.Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Release Date February 14, 2024 Studio(s) Tuff Gong Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Zach Baylin , Frank E. Flowers , Terence Winter Cast Kingsley Ben-Adir