The film initially began development in 2008, with a planned release date for Marley's 65th birthday on 6 February 2010. Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme were attached at different points but both would depart from the documentary, with Demme citing creative differences.[5] The documentary was then put on hold until Macdonald signed on as director.[6][7]
It was released on 20 April 2012, and received critical acclaim.[1][2][8] The film was also released on demand on the same day, a "day and date" release.[9] The film features archival footage and interviews.
The content spans the life and musical career of Bob Marley, mainly as seen through the eyes of those who knew him and contributed to the documentary, including Bunny Wailer, Rita Marley, Lee "Scratch" Perry and many others.
Although Marley was enthusiastic about music from a very young age, he had disappointing record sales as a solo artist with his first singles, “Judge Not” and “One Cup of Coffee”. He then decided to collaborate with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to create “The Wailers.” This group later became known as “Bob Marley and the Wailers” and achieved international fame. The group made Bob Marley a household name and brought worldwide attention to Jamaican culture, Reggae music and the Rastafari movement.
Throughout the documentary, much of the content deals with Marley's struggle with racial identity and acceptance. Marley's widow, Rita Marley stated “they saw Bob as an outcast, because he didn’t really belong to anyone. You’re in-between. You’re black and white; so you’re not even black.” Livingston also comments that Marley was harassed in school for being mixed race. On his race, Marley stated:
"I don't have prejudice against meself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip on the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white."
Marley's journey to become a member of the Rastafari movement is documented in the film starting with his friendship with Rastafari preacher Mortimer Planno. Marley firmly states several times that he is a key part of the Rastafari movement: the belief that the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, is the reincarnation of Christ. Rita Marley stated that she also converted to Rastafari upon the visit of Selassie I to Jamaica when she saw “marks in his hands”, similar to those Jesus bore when he was nailed to the cross.
Marley's love of Rastafari was brought out in lyrics of songs such as, “Exodus” and “Jah Live”. Marley's inspiration for other songs is addressed in the documentary. Examples of this are “Corner Stone”, which dealt with the rejection of Marley by white relatives on his father's side; “Work”, which dealt with Jamaica's political conflicts; and “Zimbabwe”, which dealt with the Zimbabweanliberation movement.
Throughout Marley's life, he had a total of eleven children with seven women, despite being married from a young age. When asked if he was married, Marley responded:
"No. You see, I can’t deal with the Western ways of life. If I must live by a law, it must be the laws of His Majesty. If it’s not the laws of His Majesty, then I can make my own law."
Marley's most famous relationship was with Cindy Breakspeare (Miss World 1976). From this relationship, Breakspheare had Marley's son, Damian Marley. When asked about how she felt about Marley's relationships with other women, Rita Marley responded:
"I became his guardian angel. By that time, I was past the service of being a wife because of the importance of who I knew Bob is. I didn’t see it as a fun trip. We were on a mission. It was like an evangelist campaign to bring people closer to Jah."
Marley's death is uniquely depicted in the documentary. In 1977, Marley found out that he had a cancerous sore on his right big toe. It is believed that the sore on his toe was the result of a cancer that was already spreading in Marley's body. Contrary to those sources, Rita Marley is quoted in saying:
"Somebody stepped on it with their spiked boots and it started to get infested. But Bob would still play football the next day on it, and the next day."
The documentary also conducts interviews with Rastafari doctors, which shows Marley's strict adherence to the religion. Rastafari doctor, Carleton Fraser, states that “doctors recommended amputation of the hip and removing the entire leg.” Chris Blackwell gives conflicting information and insists that they just needed to amputate Marley's big toe for him to survive. Later, when Marley started losing his hair in the course of chemotherapy treatment for his cancer, family members also state that Marley had much displeasure in cutting off his dreadlocks, an aspect of Rastafarism, which was unfortunately necessitated by the physical pain their heavy weight was causing him.
The film ends with Marley saying a quote that was the overall message in his music:
"I don’t really have any ambition, you know? I only have one thing I’d really like to see happen. I’d like to see mankind living together. Black, White, Chinese , everyone. That’s all."
During the credits, it shows people from many countries singing the performing “Get Up, Stand Up” and “One Love”.
The soundtrack to Marley was released four days prior to the film, on 16 April 2012.[10] It contains 24 of the 66 tracks listed in the closing credits of the movie. The soundtrack's first single is "High Tide or Low Tide" which was released as a single on August9,2011(2011-08-09).[11] The soundtrack's track list is arranged chronologically as it appears on the film.[12] It's the first record to feature the recording of Bob Marley performing "Jamming" at the One Love Peace Concert, where Marley joined the hands of Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, members of the People's National Party and the Jamaican Labour Party respectively.[12]
The tracks listed in the film's closing credits, in order, are:
No Woman, No Cry (Live At The Lyceum, London 1975)
Crazy Baldhead
Jamming
Kinky Reggae
No Sympathy
Burnin' and Lootin'
I Shot The Sheriff
The Heathen
Smile Jamaica
Three Little Birds
Is This Love
War
Work
Crisis Dub
Jamming (Live at One Love Peace Concert, Kingston 1978)
No More Trouble
Lively Up Yourself
Real Situation
Zimbabwe
Could You Be Loved
Could You Be Loved (Live at Madison Square Garden 1980)
Is This Love (Live at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh 1980)
Redemption Song
Get Up Stand Up (Live)
One Love/People Get Ready
Reception
At Rotten Tomatoes, Marley holds a rating of 95%, based on 93 reviews and an average rating of 7.9/10, with the critical consensus saying, "Kevin Macdonald's exhaustive, evenhanded portrait of Bob Marley offers electrifying concert footage and fascinating insights into reggae's greatest star."[13] It also has a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 32 reviews.[14] However the film did receive criticism, with Bunny Wailer saying that the Rastafari part of Marley's life was underplayed. Furthermore, its opening in Jamaica was soured after the colours of the Ethiopian flag were placed on the ground, causing Wailer and others to boycott the opening.[15]
Box office
As of 4 August 2012, the film has grossed $1,412,124 in North America.[3]
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Natty Dread is the seventh album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1974. Previously Marley had recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as the Wailers, and this was his first record without them.
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Jacob Miller was a Jamaican reggae artist and Rastafari from Mandeville, Jamaica. His first recording session was with the famous Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd in the late 1960s. While pursuing a solo career, he became the lead singer for Inner Circle, a famous roots reggae band. Miller recorded and toured with Inner Circle before he died in a car crash in early 1980 at age 27.
Alfarita Constantia "Rita" Marley is a Cuban-born Jamaican singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. She is the widow of reggae legend Bob Marley. Along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, Rita was a member of the reggae vocal group the I Threes, the backing vocalists for Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Mortimo St George "Kumi" Planno, was a renowned Rastafari elder, drummer and a follower of the back-to-Africa movement founded in the 1910s by Marcus Garvey. He is best known as the Rasta teacher and friend of Bob Marley, and as the man who commanded the respect of a chaotic crowd during the arrival of Emperor Haile Selassie on his visit to Jamaica in 1966. He is referred to by other Rastas as a teacher and a leader within the context of the faith, given his life's work.
Judith Veronica Mowatt, is a Jamaican reggae artist. As well as being a solo artist, from 1974 she was also a member of the I Threes, the trio of backing vocalists for Bob Marley & The Wailers.
Grounation Day is an important Rastafari holy day, second only to Coronation Day. It is celebrated in honour of Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to Jamaica.
The One Love Concert (OLPC) was a large concert held on 22 April 1978 at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
"War" is a song recorded and made popular by Bob Marley. It first appeared on Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1976 Island Records album, Rastaman Vibration, Marley's only top 10 album in the USA. The lyrics are almost entirely derived from a speech made by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I before the United Nations General Assembly on 4 October 1963.
"Jah Live" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers, released as a single in 1975. The song was recorded and released within days following the announcement of the death of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia whom Rastafarians see as the reincarnation of God, whom they call Jah. The song was written as a message to the world that Haile Selassie I had not died as the Ethiopian government of the time and detractors of the Rastafarian religion claimed. When the song was released, Selassie was claimed dead by the Ethiopian authorities but there was no body. Marley was prescient in response to the news that no body had not been found saying, "Yuh cyant kill God".
The Smile Jamaica Concert was a reggae concert held on 5 December 1976 at the National Heroes Park in Kingston, Jamaica, aimed at countering political violence. Bob Marley had agreed to perform, but, two days before the concert, he was shot in his home. He recovered and, with The Wailers, played a 90-minute set for the 80,000 people in attendance.
Earl "Chinna" Smith, a.k.a. Earl Flute and Melchezidek the High Priest, is a Jamaican guitarist active since the late 1960s. He is most well known for his work with the Soul Syndicate band and as guitarist for Bob Marley & the Wailers, among others, and has recorded with many reggae artists, appearing on more than 500 albums.
Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of the genre, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady in his music and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. Marley's contribution to music increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture. Over the course of his career, Marley became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism. In 1976, Marley survived an assassination attempt in his home, which was believed to be politically motivated.
Constantine "Vision" Walker, also known as "Vision" or "Dream" (born Constantine Antonio Walker, Jr., is a singer songwriter and musician. He was an original member of reggae group The Soulettes, with his cousin Rita Anderson and Marlene "Precious" Gifford in the early 1960s, and was briefly a member of The Wailers along with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. Vision is a former member of New York based groups Jah Malla, I Performers and JARO. He is also a former member of the California-based group The Rastafarians.
Jah People is an American roots reggae band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2012, Jah People began primarily as a cover band performing classic reggae hits from Bob Marley including "Exodus", "Is This Love" and "Redemption Song". The group grew a local interest by embodying Marley's message of love and spirituality, with a blend of musicality to meld funk, rock, reggae, and soul influences. Jah People began to create original songs, such as "Karma Flow" and "Selfish" in 2014, with the title song "Rising High" as an update to Marley's "Exodus" from his ninth studio album. The group is a part of the growing reggae scene in the arts-centered city of Philadelphia, Headlining in the 2015, 2016 and 2018 Caribbean Festival at Penn's Landing.
Neville O'Riley Livingston, known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. He was also known as Jah B, Bunny O'Riley, and Bunny Livingston.
Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM, professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963–1976), after which he established himself as a successful solo artist and a promoter of Rastafari. He was murdered in 1987 during a home invasion.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bob Marley:
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