“Being from from the Caribbean, Bob Marley has a special place in in all of our hearts,” fondly says screenwriter Frank E. Flowers (Shooting Stars, Metro Manila) about the biopic Bob Marley: One Love which he co-wrote with Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and Tulsa King).
Flowers was first approached about this project almost twenty years ago when it had a different studio backing. “It wasn’t ready for the world. Five years ago, Ziggy Marley was finally ready to tell his dad’s story. It had a different energy and the thing that you’ll see is that it’s as much about the message, maybe even more about the message, than it is about the man.”
Bob Marley embraced a simple philosophy of love and unity.
“There’s never been a better time to celebrate this idea of of love, of one love of connecting us to spirit, treating each other better, and erasing the boundaries that separate us. Bob Marley is from an existential place,” Flowers asserts.
Frank E. Flowers. Photo by David Goddard
Flowers and Winter first began to collaborate on Bob Marley: One Love in 2018 “when the world felt pretty divided.”
The Power Of Reggae
Every genre of music aims to “speak to the people.” From the fiery rebellion of rock and roll, the heart-felt pain of country, to the anti-establishment sentiment of punk and metal. They all filled the musical landscape making a statement.
Reggae is slightly different. “Reggae is a consciousness. There’s an intangibility about it. Bob realized there was something special about a small island in the Caribbean that can reach out and touch people. There’s something in the soil, the sun and the sea and reggae music is the personification of that culture,” states Flowers.
Jamaica was in a state of political upheaval during Bob Marley’s rise to fame following its independence from Britain. “Reggae is is the idea of being in a surrounding, and in a world that might not be perfect, but you learn to love and to respect everybody, and that comes across in the music… that intensity and that that specialness. It just brings a vibe… man,” mentions Flowers.
There’s a rhythm and vibe in reggae that transcends race, age, gender, and ethnicities. There’s also a simplicity to it… “Every little thing is gonna be alright.” Bob Marley famously stated that he wrote songs so that a baby could understand them.
Writing The Movie – The Message
It’s always a challenge writing a biopic, especially from such iconic artists. He meant so many things to so many people.
“There’s a lot of different ways to skin this cat. You could tell the cradle to grave story of he was born, his mother left, and
then he discovered music and met the band,” says Flowers. “The more important story for us was all about the message. We wanted to take a slice of his incredible life. We chose the period of 1977 right after he was shot and went into exile in London and then he returned to Jamaica. That two-year period is the part where Bob not only rose to international fame, but really discovered who he was as an artist and as a messenger.”
For Bob Marley, it wasn’t about the fame or rock star lifestyle. It was about conveying the message of peace and love through music
Ziggy Marley was an intricate part of crafting this film. “He was the maestro of this film, from the very first word and concept to what you see on screen. Having him there with us to reframe the events that happened and the milestones of Bob’s life were important, but this intimate portrait of a man who was his father and a husband even more so,” continues Flowers. Ziggy also granted them access to many recordings of Bob’s band.
Flowers and Winter’s research indicated that Bob Marley was always destined for greatness beyond his being. He sensed a calling to a bigger purpose in his life from his childhood dreams and nightmares. Peace and love were his religion, although he couldn’t fully articulate or understand it until later in life. It wasn’t until his thirties, when he came into his own.
Terence Winter. Photo by Brigitte Lacombe
“I read most of the books and knew a lot of it in an intellectual way, so for me this eye-opening part was really that spiritual journey and and the idea of Bob Marley being an egoless rock star stood out to me,” adds Flowers. “It was also really interesting learning about Rastafari religion, the Kebra Nagast and the connection to King Solomon and the twelve tribes of Juda in the Bible.”
Bob Marley’s political leanings were unclear. He transcended the sparring political parties demanding control of Jamaica, and instead insisted on staging a concert of unity in defiance of the violence plaguing his country.
Amidst (often deadly) gunfire and a lack of creature comforts such as a lack of running water in his house, Bob Marley was able to appreciate the immense beauty surrounding him. This is exemplified in his song Three Little Birds in his band’s ground breaking album Exodus. “He was able to appreciate the universal truth that if you’re laying next to someone you love, you don’t care about the thread count of the sheets or if you have air-conditioning,” says Flowers.
Bob tapped into something deeper than music. Jamaicans fight hard, but they love even harder – Frank E. Flowers
“There’s an energy, a love of life, and a luster that, even on your darkest day you can feel happy. I think that was the magic of Bob,” mentions Frank.
Writing Collaboration
“I have a background in TV and features to a certain extent,” says co-writer Terence Winter, who’s been a fan of Frank E. Flowers’ writing for years. Terence approached the film from a logistical point of view beginning with Bob going to London where much of the film was shot. He looked at the big moments in the film such as Bob’s shooting, the big fight with his wife Rita, and the concert.
Rita Marley (Lashana Lynch) and Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
“Frank got into the weeds in terms of Bob’s essence, the moments of humanity, pathos, poignancy, and the deeper things. If you layer those two things on top of each other, that’s how we ended up with an entertaining and deep poignant film,” he adds.
“It wasn’t just about the popcorn moments. It was about the nuances that might be overlooked during the bigger splash. It’s one thing to write great scripts, but you have to write great movies,” asserts Winter.
Frank concurs with Terence. He greatly appreciates their working relationship and what each brought to the table. “The notes Terence would give as a producer were were not just philosophical because sometimes producers give you notes and they don’t realize that it’s a jenga piece and the whole thing’s gonna fall apart,” says Flowers.
“Terence is a master at transitions. He knows when to cut and you always feel like you’re flowing.” Frank’s confidence in Terence’s writing ability allowed him to “go for broke” in his own writing. “I can try things and know they work, but I can ask Terence if there’s anything i can add… a little nuance in a line or something like that.”
Although Bob Marley: One Love delved deeply into Bob’s personal life, there were some scenes where he was performing on stage. “There’s a scene when he’s showing the gunshot wound to the audience… that defiance… They tried to silence me and this message will not be silenced,” reinforces Winter as capturing the essence of the man.
For Frank E. Flowers, the moment when Bob’s arguing with Rita deeply resonates with him. “The message has become the man,” she points out. “For me there was that humanity portion of it behind this emboldened prophet, this man who’s been given a message.” Bob wrestles with this. How can be bring peace to others if he can’t find peace in himself. “Bob’s reconciling his racial heritage and identity from having a white father and a black mother, he’s been rejected by his own people and shot, and now finding the strength and courage to rise above that.” Bob forgave the man that shot him in his own house.
Bob Marley insisted his band play in Zimbabwe. “But they have no stage,” complains his manager. “We build it,” insists Bob matter-of-factly. He broke the mould on colonialism.
