The Harder They Come (1973)

That was an excellent one.

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The Harder They Come is a seminal gangster film from Jamaica. It is not a very good film, being low budget with amateurish acting. Even some of the songs are recycled throughout the film.Ska legend Jimmy Cliff plays Ivan Martin, a young singer from the country who comes to Kingston to make a name for himself. In his first day in town he is robbed, he loses his bike and he realises to survive he better toughen up fast.He gets his bike back, he is punished by the police and he takes on the unscrupulous music mogul who exploits the artists he signs up (rather common in Jamaica at the time.)Before long Ivan becomes an outlaw and his record becomes a big hit but the police are on to him.The story is banal in places but the film has an infectious energy, it has attracted a cult following and is regarded for popularising reggae music to the world.Look out for a cameo by another Ska legend Prince Buster who plays a club DJ. Ironically both Prince Buster and Jimmy Cliff became Muslim converts.

Yes, it's low budget, and it shows at times.However, the story is beautiful, the soundtrack is great. Most poor reviews seem to center around a dislike for the main character and who he becomes. As you watch the movie try to put yourself in the position where you are being exploited by everyone. Drug dealers, music 'moguls', priests, police. I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been like to like in extreme poverty in Kingston Jamaica, but I believe Jimmy Cliff and the Director capture it well in a compelling story. Some have dubbed this a blaxploitation film but it goes further than that, it's more about class lines than race colors, at least in my opinion.You well want a clean version to watch, and subtitles as well make it easier to follow along.

"The Harder They Come, 12 February 2005 Author: Bored2Tears from United States This movie might be a little too complex for simple minds like the review I just saw above..." This idiot had the temerity to complain about somebody else's review, as well as rubbishing nearly everyone else for their lack of savvy regarding Jamaican culture and Reggae music.This jerk, who can't even spell, is the one who should be barred from owning a computer, if this is all he can manage to do with it.This is an awesome film; it is also very flawed, but the flaws don't necessarily detract from it. It is a very raw look at a very real slice of life in the Caribbean. If you like Reggae, then there's something wrong with you if you haven't already seen this.If you don't like Reggae, and/or you don't want to strain your ears for 100 minutes trying to follow the dialog, then don't bother with this.Everyone else will most definitely get something out of this amazing film.

I had first intended to watch this when the Criterion DVD went out-of-print but I only managed to get to it now that the director has passed away! I'm not one of Blaxpioitation's biggest fans - even less so of Reggae music - but this is surely among the best I've seen; unfortunately, the heavy Jamaican accents make the dialogue unintelligible at times (even if I was watching the film with the benefit of Italian subtitles)!Though the plot offers nothing new - a young man moves from the country to the city hoping to make it as a singing performer but, seeing how he's being exploited by his manager, resorts to crime in order to make a fast buck with the inevitable tragic outcome - the vividness of the ethnic culture and setting make it seem fresh and exciting (thanks in large part, too, to the great soundtrack, providing thought-provoking lyrics amidst unusual rhythms); sure, it's rough and raw film-making, but the end result is frequently disarming and exhilarating.That said, the characters aren't very likable (including our hero played by Reggae star Jimmy Cliff, who also composed the songs) and the film ends up being somewhat overstretched for its purpose; the finale, though, with Cliff facing-off with the militia single-handedly (inspired by a screening of DJANGO [1966] he saw in a local cinema shortly after his arrival in town) is worth waiting for. Along the road, Cliff also gets involved with a preacher and his female ward; as a matter of fact, the all-black church sequences here reminded me of GANJA AND HESS (1973) - incidentally, "ganja" (street slang for dope) turns out to be a major plot point in this film's own latter stages.Unfortunately, it seems that the version I watched is slightly trimmed as the IMDb lists scenes and shots (notably full-frontal nudity during a beating Cliff receives at the hands of the police) which aren't present here! By the way, the film's original soundtrack was voted No. 8 among the All-Time Top 20 Soundtrack Albums in an authoritative 1995 poll.