Top 10 Things Bob Marley One Love Gets Factually Right and Wrong

Top 10 Things Bob Marley: One Love Gets Factually Right and Wrong

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at details from Bob Marley: One Love that remained faithful to Marley’s life, as well as significant aspects that were changed or omitted from the biopic. Hopefully, you feel all right about spoilers.

#10: Bob Marley’s Relationship (or Lack Thereof) With His Father

Right
Bob Marley’s father is only briefly seen in flashbacks; even then, his face is usually concealed. It’s established that Marley’s father was a white man who didn’t stick around to see his son grow up. This is essentially the extent of what Marley knew about his father. Even historians have struggled to uncover much information about his distant father, who was named Norval Sinclair Marley. A former construction engineer, Norval enlisted in Liverpool and met Bob’s mother, Cedella Malcolm, while supervising a Jamaican plantation. Norval left shortly after his son’s birth, dying by the time Bob was 10. Actress Esther Anderson, who dated Bob, said his father “didn’t exist” aside from a photo of him on a horse, which this biopic reflects.

#9: Bob Marley’s Arrest in London

Right
During his extended stay in London, Marley and a couple of his friends are pulled aside by the police. Marley is subsequently seen relaxing in a jail cell, although he’s quickly released. Indeed, Marley was arrested in Ladbroke Grove along with fellow musician Aston “Family Man” Barrett on March 10, 1977. The film tiptoes around why Marley was brought in, however. Marley was charged and fined £50 for possession of cannabis, which he was no stranger to. Outside of an interview question and a few other fleeting moments, “One Love” doesn’t delve that deep into Marley’s relationship with cannabis, which he encouraged the legalization of. While Marley got busted on this occasion, he otherwise managed to keep the fuzz off his tail.

#8: Marley’s Run-In with Massop & Marshall

Wrong
Following the attempt on his life, Marley runs into Claude Massop, a Jamaican gang leader. Massop assures Marley that he wasn’t involved in the ambush. This random encounter is unlikely since Massop would’ve been at Gun Court detention center during this time, although he reportedly tried to warn Marley of the impending assassination attempt over the phone. Massop resurfaces later in the film alongside another gang leader, Bucky Marshall. It’s suggested that the two approached Marley in London where they asked him to play in the One Love Peace Concert. The truth is that Marley flew them out to discuss the event. Massop and Marshall went on to organize the concert, but the film neglects to mention that they died two years later.

#7: Nobody Died in the Assassination Attempt

Right
It’s not unknown for biopics to culminate in a late legend’s assassination. Those who go into “One Love” with little knowledge about Bob Marley might be surprised to see the film open with an attempt on his life. They’ll be even more shocked to learn that nobody died in this assassination attempt, although there were some close calls. Marley got hit twice in his left arm and chest. The armed attackers also shot Marley’s wife Rita in the driveway, his manager Don Taylor, and band employee Louis Griffiths. There were other people at the Marley household that night where they were ironically rehearsing “I Shot The Sheriff,” according to keyboardist Tyrone Downie. Thankfully, nobody else took a bullet and the ones who did all survived.

#6: Bob Marley Beat Up Don Taylor

Right
The gunshots to his legs and torso might’ve been the most critical injury that Don Taylor endured as Marley’s manager, but this wasn’t the end of his pain. While touring Africa, Marley got into a physical altercation with Taylor over a financial dispute. The confrontation between Marley and Taylor is depicted in “One Love,” although according to eyewitnesses, it lasted much longer than what we see in the film. According to art director Neville Garrick, Marley questioned Taylor on tape for nearly three hours while guitarist Junior Marvin remembers the manager getting held out the window. Although the movie implies they reconciled, Taylor claimed Marley made him terminate their contract at gunpoint. The song “Bad Card” is also said to be based on Taylor.

#5: The Extent of Bob & Rita Marley’s Affairs

Wrong
“One Love” doesn’t ignore the fact that Bob and Rita Marley had extramarital affairs, although it waters down just how open their marriage was. The couple had three children together. Bob adopted two of Rita’s children, one from a past relationship and another from an affair with soccer player Owen “Ital Tacky” Stewart. While married to Rita, Bob fathered children with at least six other women, but it could be more. His most high-profile affair was with Miss World 1976 Cindy Breakspeare, who gave birth to Bob’s son Damian in 1978. It’s debatable whether the affairs were generally accepted or if they resulted in the jealous blowout portrayed in the film. Either way, Bob and Rita’s relationship was even more complex than the film indicates.

#4: Rita Marley’s Dreadlocks Saved Her Life

Right
Of the four people who got shot at the Marley residence on December 3, 1976, Rita probably had the closest brush with death. As depicted in the film, Rita was in the car when she got shot. Resting her head on the steering wheel, Rita thought she was dead. It wasn’t until blood ran down her head that Rita realized she was still alive. She almost certainly would’ve been that night’s one fatality had it not been for her hair. It’s been said Rita’s dreadlocks were so thick that they reduced the impact of the bullet. According to Bob and Rita’s son, Ziggy, the bullet was only an inch away from his mother’s brain. Rita recovered, but it was literally by a hair.

#3: Smile Jamaica Concert: The Show Must Go On

Right
The assassination attempt took place only two days before the Smile Jamaica Concert. This event was already seen as a risky venture with political tensions in Jamaica on the rise. Even after getting shot over his “politically progressive” music, Marley didn’t back out. While still recouping from his injuries, Marley performed before a crowd with nearly 80,000 in attendance. He wasn’t the only one who made a miraculous comeback. Only a few hours after being discharged, Rita showed up in her hospital gown, prepared to sing backup. About an hour and a half into the performance, Marley showed his gunshot wound to the audience, saying, “Bang bang, I’m okay.” “One Love” captures Marley’s unbreakable spirit, but he wasn’t invincible.

#2: Bob Marley Didn’t Receive Treatment for Cancer

Wrong
In the movie, Marley sees a doctor about what appears to be a toe injury. He’s diagnosed with melanoma, but “One Love” skips over much of this experience, suggesting that Marley did little to treat it. While Marley objected to having an amputation, he would have the nail and nail bed removed after visiting multiple doctors. Although the surgery was viewed as a success, that unfortunately wasn’t the case. As Marley continued to perform, his health began to decline. It was discovered that the cancer had spread across his body, forcing Marley to end his tour early. After consulting doctors in New York and Miami, Marley went to Germany for an alternative cancer treatment. This proved ineffective with Marley dying on May 11, 1981.

#1: Bob Marley Sought Peace Through His Music

Right
“One Love” might not get into the nitty-gritty of Marley’s political views, but it does convey his desire to bring unity through musical harmony. Prime Minister Michael Manley endorsed the Smile Jamaica Concert in hopes of easing tensions between the People’s National Party and Jamaica Labour Party. After the attack on his life, Marley continued to send a peaceful message through his ninth studio album, “Exodus.” This set the stage for the One Love Peace Concert as Jamaica was on the brink of civil war. The heads of the two opposing parties, Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, would join hands with Marley. This gesture didn’t bring an end to the ongoing violence, but it summed up the message that Marley strived to get across.

Are you a Bob Marley fan? Let’s remember him in the comments and feel all right.