The Harder They Come (1972)

Wishing to become a successful Reggae singer, a young Jamaican man finds himself tied to corrupt record producers and drug pushers.

Director:

Perry Henzell

Writers:

Perry Henzell, Trevor D. Rhone

Stars:

Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jimmy Cliff	...	Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Janet Bartley	...	Elsa
Carl Bradshaw	...	Jose Smith
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

Storyline

With dreams of becoming a successful Reggae singer, a young Jamaican man finds corruption from his record producers and the drug pushers they're connected to. Rather than fail his dreams Ivan lets nothing stand in his way, not even the law.

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Plot Keywords:

jamaica | revenge | west indies | reggae | singer | 

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Taglines:

The film that took reggae music to the world!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is in Jamaican Patois, a creole language which can be understood to some extent by English speakers. There are subtitles in English for much of the movie on the original theatrical print.

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Quotes

Ivan Martin: [title song] and the oppressors are trying to keep me down /T rying to drive me underground / And they think that they have got the battle won / I say, "Forgive them, Lord, they know not what they've done," / For as sure as the Sun will shine / I'm going to get my share now, what's mine and the harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all.

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Alternate Versions

The 25th Anniversary re-release cuts out the following scenes:

• The dinner with the Minister.
• Fixing the Bicycle.
• Part of the movie theater scene where Ivan sees Jimmy Cagney stand off cops with empty guns.

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Connections

Referenced in This Is England (2006)

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Soundtracks

Many Rivers To Cross
Performed by Jimmy Cliff
Composed by Jimmy Cliff

User Reviews

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Jamaica

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 1976 (France)

Also Known As:

The Harder They Come

Filming Locations:

Kingston, Jamaica

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Films, Xenon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 103 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1