Film Review: Marley

Director: Kevin MacDonald

Marley is a biographical documentary by Kevin MacDonald who looks at the life of Bob Marley and meets with the many people who knew him over his varied life from family members to friends and musicians he worked with. Ziggy Marley was a producer on the film that goes into huge detail about every aspect of his life and how he became the massive icon he was at the time and still is today even after his death in 1981.

The first thing that strikes you in the opening of the film is the beauty of the countryside around Jamaica where Marley grew up working on a farm before he moved with his mother to Trench town in Kingston. It was a huge rise from a poor background to international stardom as one of the main exponents of the reggae genre being exported to the world. MacDonald also explores the foundations of the Rastafari movement who worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974, and wear dreadlocks as well as cannabis for spiritual use.

The film whilst charting Marley's life doesn't spend much time looking at Marley's private life and family which had a tough time due to the large number of children he had with different women, although it does show Marley denying that he is married to backing singer Rita. In a way it is a rose tinted look at his life by taking the great story of Marley and the effect he had round the world without looking at the negative side which is a shame. A more balanced view would have been more intriguing.

There is some great footage of Bob Marley and the Wailers performing on stage and footage of the widespread mourning for him when he died in 1981. It really demonstrated the massive effect he had on people and on taking the music and culture of Jamaica to a wider audience. He actually comes across as quite a driven and passionate person much at odds with the general perception of Jamaica being laid back and care free which is also debunked when the history of Jamaica across regime changes is also addressed.

It is difficult to review documentary films like this and Into the Abyss in the normal way as they are very different from conventional films that I review on here. Being able to make interviews with people exciting for a film of over 2 hours is difficult but many of the stories shared really ignite your imagination.

3/4 hugely in-depth look at the life of the legend that is Bob Marley but misses out intriguing questions about his personal life.