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The Harder They Come (1972)

R | | Crime, Drama, Music | 5 August 1977 (Denmark)
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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 | See full cast & crew »
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The Harder They Come
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The Harder They Come
Crime | Drama | Music
Not yet released

A remake of the 1972 film, where an aspiring Reggae singer gets tangled up in dangerous business, becoming Jamiaca's most-wanted man in the process.

Edit

Cast

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

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. Written by Daniel Jos. Leary

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

reggae | singer | marijuana | jamaica | urban setting | See All (36) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site

Country:

Jamaica

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 August 1977 (Denmark) See more »

Also Known As:

The Harder They Come See more »

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Films,Xenon Pictures See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film produced in Jamaica. See more »

Quotes

Mother: Why you no bring mango from country?
Ivan Martin: Mango season bad this year.
See more »

Connections

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

Many Rivers To Cross
Performed by Jimmy Cliff
Composed by Jimmy Cliff
See more »

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User Reviews

 
The best Jamaican movie ever made.....
22 September 2006 | by raoul-guariguata – See all my reviews

I'm a great reggae and dancehall fan and travelled Jamaica, where I had the chance to watch most movies ever filmed in Jamaica(which aren't too many!)by Jamaicans. Well, if you compare Dancehall Queen, Third World Cop, Rudeboy, Shottas, Rockers - this is the best of them and the best Jamaican movie ever. Based on a true story, a country boy, Ivanhoe, looks for fortune in the city and ends up as the most wanted criminal in Kingston. Jimmy Cliff is superb in his role as a bad boy and the motives for him becoming criminal are presented very clearly throughout the movie. He is a talented artist recording many big songs and doesn't see a dime or a penny for his music, so the struggle to survive ends in violence. Well this probably happens nearly every day in the Caribbean if you look at biographies of Max Romeo for example, who never received money at the time for some big songs(except for becoming a gangster).

Features a Great Soundtrack and a really marvellous Jimmy Cliff!!!!
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