Sunday, January 15, 2012

JOHN MASOURI REVIEW of BOB MARLEY: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND



John Masouri, author and journalist reviews the film in Echoes Magazine in May 2011: "Ms. Anderson’s film doesn’t consist of the usual parade of archive footage and talking heads but revolves around priceless, early footage of the Wailers she shot in Jamaica during 1973, when Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston were still in the group and Marley had just delivered the groundbreaking Catch A Fire album to Island Records. To watch all three Wailers frolic in the waters of Cane River Falls or rehearse at 56 Hope Road prior to them visiting England for their first-ever overseas’ tour is to witness reggae history at a crucial point in its development. It’s a revelation in truth – one of immense interest to Marley fans and anyone else sharing a love of Jamaican music and the cultural heritage from which it springs since we’re treated to plenty of historical input, as well as a fabulous soundtrack and previously unseen footage. (...) Essentially, her film should have appeared just as he began to take roots reggae music international. Its impact would have been sensational, confirming both of them as major talents in their respective fields. Instead, Esther’s talents would go largely unheralded, and an entire generation of Marley fans will be denied the most personal and intimate glimpse of him ever seen, or at least until now. The finished version of her film has been made in collaboration with Gian Godoy, and weaves the original seventies’ footage into a cinematic self-portrait inspired by the work of filmmaker Robert Bresson and the Mexican artist Frida Khalo."

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