Black History Month: The Harder They Come

THE HARDER THEY COME
Directed by Perry Henzell
Written by Perry Henzell and Trevor D. Rhone
Starring Jimmy Cliff
Jamaica, 1973

For most people, the first name you think of when you think of reggae is Bob Marley, and rightfully so. But, it was Jimmy Cliff who took reggae international first, with the help of his starring role in the Jamaican film THE HARDER THEY COME and its soundtrack.

Cliff stars as a country kid who heads to Kingston to make it as a singer/songwriter. Finding the odds stacked against him due to the crooked producers who pay very little and control the industry by influencing what does and does not get airplay, Cliff ends up embroiled in a drug dealing operation and escalates his life of crime when he panics, killing a police officer. On the run, he manages to escalate his killing spree time and time again until he’s a national anti-hero, causing endless airplay of his song and the fame he dreamed of. Unfortunately, the price is high, as the authorities close in on him.

Going into this movie not knowing much, I was surprised when the narrative took the turn it did, into not only a crime story, but one where the guy we were rooting for to make it big, Cliff, throws himself enthusiastically into a killing spree. It starts off as a believable street level story, taking advantage of the very specific locations, accents and music of Jamaica to give us a take on this kind of tale we’ve absolutely never seen before. The off the cuff energy and brisk way it flies through things without bothering to necessarily explain them to outsiders reminded me a little bit of the 1979 UK film QUADROPHENIA.

So, it was a little disappointing when the movie turned into one long chase in a climax that was exciting for sure but not really what it seemed like the movie was setting up at first. Maybe this was deliberate misdirection, but the uneven tone makes that unlikely.

Still, the movie is well worth watching for Cliff’s performance, the great music and the views of Jamaica the world might not have ever seen if this movie hadn’t been produced.