The Harder They Come (1972)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Perry Henzell

Writers:

Perry Henzell (written by) &
Trevor D. Rhone (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music

Tagline:

dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail in shanty town (British DVD tag-line)

Plot:

Ivanhoe Martin comes to the city to make it big singing Reggae. However, he finds life in the city to be harder than he thought...

Plot Keywords:

Record | Reggae | Marijuana | Police | Jamaica

Cast

Jimmy Cliff	...	Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Janet Bartley	...	Elsa
Carl Bradshaw	...	Jose
Ras Daniel Hartman	...	Pedro
Basil Keane	...	Preacher
Bob Charlton	...	Hilton
Winston Stona	...	Detective Ray Jones
Lucia White	...	Mother
Volair Johnson	...	Pushcart Boy
Beverly Anderson	...	Housewife
Clover Lewis	...	Market Woman
Elijah Chambers	...	Longa
Prince Buster	...	DJ at Dance
Ed 'Bim' Lewis	...	Photographer
Bobby Loban	...	Fitz

Also Known As:

Hard Road to Travel (Jamaica: English title) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:120 min | Finland:103 min (TV)

Country:

Jamaica

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

International Films Inc.

Trivia:

The movie is in English, but the actors have such strong Jamaican accents that there are subtitles in English for much of the movie on the original theatrical print.

Quotes:

DJ at Dance: Sit tight and listen keenly while I play for you another brand-new musical biscuit from the Hilton's empire. This a brand-new song they call "The Harder They Fall" by the man called Ivan!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Is England (2006)

Soundtrack:

Draw Your Brakes

slightly pornographic title, but great film!

I was a recent immigrant from the caribbean back in 1973 when this film was released. I was sooo thrilled when it met with such good reviews and commercial success. Years later, as an adult, I had a viewing party for some friends who wanted to see, in general, a different genre of film, and in particular, caribbean films (I highly recommend; "Dancehall Queen, and "The Lunatic" for those interested in island fare.) One friend saw the title and thought it was a "blue" movie. After what seemed like hours of laughter, we settled in to watch. They truly enjoyed it, and I (now grown,) could understand the subtleties and layers sometimes lost on a younger viewer. The gritty look of the film added to and enhanced the entire project. I have had occasion to view it a few more times since then, and it never loses its appeal. I also cry every time I hear Jimmy Cliff sing "White Cliffs of Dover." 'Cross many rivers' if you have to, but see this film.