The film that made a star of Jimmy Cliff and brought reggae to the world, Perry Henzell’s The Harder They Come remains A-list cinema, a swaggering cops-robbers-and-reggae epic fueled by one of the great soundtracks in movie history.
Ivanhoe Martin (Cliff) leaves the rural life for the big city of Kingston, Jamaica, where he is repeatedly exploited by cops, priests, and criminals. He records a song, and has hope of becoming a singer, but circumstances draw him into a life of crime, from which there is seemingly no exit. Will he make it out alive, or will he go down with guns blazing?
The first feature film out of Jamaica, Perry Henzell’s high-energy debut is still electrifying, thanks to its potent mix of Jamaican locations, an unbeatable reggae score, and the incandescent star power of Cliff, who anchors the film as a wide-eyed country rube turned swaggering, charismatic killer. Though it’s a crime story with plenty of gunplay and violence, the pervasive musical score gives the film a celebratory vibe. Like Shaft (see January 3), it’s a soundtrack that stands alone from the film, while also adding immeasurably to it.
We’re screening The Harder They Come in honor of the great Jimmy Cliff, an unbeatable singer, songwriter, actor, and emissary for reggae music. He passed away in November, but through his great music and this fantastic film, he lives on.