The Harder They Come (1972)
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Directed By: Perry Henzell
Starring: Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw IMDB Rating: 8 Last weekend’s box office overperformance of the Bob Marley biopic One Love got me to thinking about the original Jamaican biopic, The Harder They Come, which debuted in 1972. Iconic Jamaican music mogul Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records, viewed the film and the subsequent release of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Island Records debut album, Catch a Fire, a year later, as the 1-2 punch that put reggae on the international map. The story of Jamaican outlaw/folk hero Ivanhoe Martin, better known as Rhygin, The Harder They Come portrays a Jamaica not seen by tourists, with an undercurrent of the infectious reggae beat that would fuel its lasting impact. The shantytowns and urban squalor of Kingstown is the back drop for the hard scrabble life of real Jamaicans, particularly the fictionalized version of Martin, as he navigates the music business and the ganja trade.
Co-writer and director Perry Henzell, a native born Jamacian, set out to reflect the Jamaica of the people and by the people, enlisting amateur actors and native crew members to capture an authenticity that is rarely seen in movies. His line producer owned a local theater and provided most of the actors, as well as the co-screenwriter, Trevor D. Rhone, who had written plays and was able to capture the patterns and patter of the dialogue. While Henzell owned the only commercial production company on the island, he reached out to British cinematographer David MacDonald to photograph the film, but when shooting was shut down due to lack of money after 12 weeks, a second DP finished the job. MacDonald and sound man Bob Povey were the only professionals on the crew. Povey had been the boom man for the Bond film Dr. No, shot partially in Jamaica, loved the island, stayed behind and his only credited film is The Harder They Come. |
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Even star Jimmy Cliff had little to no acting experience, but as a performer was at least used to cameras and being the center of attention. Having been raised in England, although born in Jamaica, however, Cliff was forced to relearn the Jamaican patios and distinctive accent for the part. His resonant voice and sometimes pleading eyes are perfect for the driven singer out to achieve greatness, but also willing to fight for what he believes to be right. Cliff wasn’t well known in Jamaica when filming started, but his incredible performance and iconic songs in the film made him an international superstar.
Cliff’s portrayal of Martin, updated and enhanced the exploits of the 1940’s gangster, but essentially captured his roguish behavior and attitudes. Henzell’s revisions, Rhygin was no ganja dealer or musician, add additional dimensions to the story that reflect modern Jamaica, but it is the dichotomy of country boy versus city that create its foundation. The brutal nature of sustanance for regular Jamaicans, far from the resorts and beaches, immediately captured the native and ax-pat audience, reflecting their reality down to their love of cinema and practice of interacting while watching. Just as Rhygin had been a folk hero some 30 years before by taunting the authorities and flouting the laws, Henzell’s mix of the story, the music and the ganja reignited the idea of the rebel for a new generation.
Cliff’s portrayal of Martin, updated and enhanced the exploits of the 1940’s gangster, but essentially captured his roguish behavior and attitudes. Henzell’s revisions, Rhygin was no ganja dealer or musician, add additional dimensions to the story that reflect modern Jamaica, but it is the dichotomy of country boy versus city that create its foundation. The brutal nature of sustanance for regular Jamaicans, far from the resorts and beaches, immediately captured the native and ax-pat audience, reflecting their reality down to their love of cinema and practice of interacting while watching. Just as Rhygin had been a folk hero some 30 years before by taunting the authorities and flouting the laws, Henzell’s mix of the story, the music and the ganja reignited the idea of the rebel for a new generation.
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Using diagetic music, captured in open air radios, speakers, from passing cars and houses, to recording studio performances, Henzell emphasized the interconnectedness of reggae and Jamaican life. By layering on elements of the Rastafarian lifestyle and beliefs, including the smoking of illegal ganja, Henzell created a complete picture of Jamaican culture as seen from the people who lived it. The soundtrack is a greatest hits of late 1960’s Jamacian ska and reggae, including Desmond Dekker (“Shanty Town”), The Melodians (“Rivers of Babylon”), The Slickers (“Johnny Too Bad”) and Toots and The Maytals (“Sweet & Dandy”, “Preassure Drop”). Frontman Toots Hibbert was actually more popular than Cliff during filming, often noted as the Jamaican Otis Redding.
The driving backbone of the soundtrack, of course, are the four songs performed by Cliff, including the title track, which itself wasn’t written until very late in production. Cliff’s other three songs, “You Can Get it if You Really Want”, “Many Rivers to Cross”, and “Sitting in Limbo” were written and produced before production, but seem to fit seamlessly into the plot and the film itself. The soundtrack peaked at number 140 on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1973, but has since sold millions of copies. Rolling Stone Magazine named it the 119th greatest album of all-time and the Library of Congress selected it for preservation as having “cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.”
The driving backbone of the soundtrack, of course, are the four songs performed by Cliff, including the title track, which itself wasn’t written until very late in production. Cliff’s other three songs, “You Can Get it if You Really Want”, “Many Rivers to Cross”, and “Sitting in Limbo” were written and produced before production, but seem to fit seamlessly into the plot and the film itself. The soundtrack peaked at number 140 on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1973, but has since sold millions of copies. Rolling Stone Magazine named it the 119th greatest album of all-time and the Library of Congress selected it for preservation as having “cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.”
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Henzell’s grassroots production, created on a shoestring budget, over the course of two years, is a testament to one man’s determination to give back to a country that had so clearly impacted his life. That that hard work is still relevant to this day, more than 52 years after its initial release, is testament to its quality. That it helped launch a global music genre and movement cannot be understated and under appreciated. Perhaps Bob Marley would have achieved the same level of fame and notoriety. Perhaps reggae would have found its place in the international music scene. Perhaps. But without the launching pad of a little film, hand made in Jamaica, by Jamaicans, it may have taken a little longer and it might not have hit in quite the same way. Thanks to Perry Henzell those ideas really don’t matter because he fought and succeeded in making The Harder They Come!
The Harder They Come can be streamed on The Criterion Channel, Paramount+ or rented on Apple TV, Amazon or Youtube.
The Harder They Come can be streamed on The Criterion Channel, Paramount+ or rented on Apple TV, Amazon or Youtube.
