Reggae star Jimmy Cliff is the principal reason that The Harder They Come was one of the first truly successful films to come out of Jamaica. Cliff plays Ivan, a young would-be singer who finds the going rough when he hits the big city of Kingston. Jailed for participating in a knife fight, Ivan is exploited by a dishonest .. Read more
| Starring | Jimmy Cliff |
|---|---|
| Director | Perry Henzell |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
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Reggae star Jimmy Cliff is the principal reason that The Harder They Come was one of the first truly successful films to come out of Jamaica. Cliff plays Ivan, a young would-be singer who finds the going rough when he hits the big city of Kingston. Jailed for participating in a knife fight, Ivan is exploited by a dishonest record-company executive upon his release. Turning his back on the establishment, Ivan becomes involved in the marijuana trade. He keeps the police at arm's length by offering them a slice of the action, but ultimately finds himself in the middle of a bloody raid. Ivan kills several cops and escapes, whereupon the duplicitous record exec releases Ivan's single The Harder They Come, elevating the fugitive to the status of folk hero. The Harder They Come utilizes a take-no-prisoners approach to its material and presents an unadorned view of the seamier side of Jamaica life. The film resulted in an incredible upsurge in the popularity of reggae music in America; among the highlights in its hit-after-hit score are You Can Really Get It If You Want It, Sitting in Limbo, Johnny Too Bad, and the title song.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
| Starring | Jimmy Cliff |
|---|---|
| Director | Perry Henzell |
| Studio | REVOLVER ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 28 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1972 To Rent: DVD: 10 Sep 2001 |
Lively, tough drama of drugs and corruption in which the action is matched by the vigour of the music, which did much to give reggae an international appeal.
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The Harder They Fall
As well as being a fascinating social documentary, this film gives a good idea of how the recording industry worked in Jamaica at the time.
The film ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Gloriously Iconic
Generally I don’t like crime films, but this went beyond my expectations and was gloriously iconic. From the very start we are shown the lively chaos of ... read more »
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Totally awesome
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Many rivers to cross!
The harder they come, superb. Not a B movie, because that suggests a lack of talent on the part of either Director/actor/crew.
No, this documentary-... read more »
Simon and Garfunkel's music to the film The Graduate has been named the top soundtrack in movie history. The soundtrack for Mike Nichols' (Closer, Catch 22) film, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, included the songs Mrs Robinson, The Sound Of Silence and Scarborough Fair. Readers of Giant magazine gave second place to the 1984 film Purple Rain that featured Prince's musical and acting talents. Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, with tracks by Al Green and Dusty Springfield, took... Read more
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