The Harder They Come
Reviewed by Rotten
Tomatoes
In this reggae cult classic, reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff stars as
Ivan Martin, a struggling musician who becomes a folk hero after fighting
back against the corrupt police and army of Jamaica. True, he was
fighting against the system where he had to pay protection money to
the cops in order to sell marijuana, but hey, he was fighting back,
and that's what makes a folk hero. This entertaining if not incredibly
professional film seamlessly blends some great reggae music (none
of it by Bob Marley or UB40) with an interesting story about a likable
loser.
We first meet Ivan Martin as he comes to Kingston for the first time
to tell his mother that her mother is dead. He is completely out of
his element, as evidenced by the fact that he is quickly relieved
of his belongings by a street swindler. The movie takes pleasure in
attacking the sacred cows of Jamaican culture, including religion
and the music industry. Ivan goes to work for a local preacher (Basil
Keane) and falls in love with Elsa (Janet Barkley), a young woman
raised by the preacher. Ivan is ejected from the preacher's good graces
because the man of God had his sights set on the young woman, and
the young lovers are put out on the street.
He wants to make it in the music industry, but to do that you have
to get in good with Hilton (Bob Charlton), a Sam Phillips-like producer
who forces his artists to sign exploitative contracts because he also
controls what gets played on the radio. Thankfully, Ivan gets his
shot at making a record for Hilton. He chafes at the virtual extortion
Hilton wants him to agree to, but he eventually has to accept when
the fearful radio DJs refuse to play the record without Hilton's blessing.
(This film should not be considered even remotely autobiographical:
Jimmy Cliff had a long and fruitful partnership with his producer,
Leslie Kong, and his first single was released when he was only 14
years old. By the time he was 16, he was a huge star, representing
Jamaica at the World's Fair.)
Hilton buries the record after he makes his money back because he
doesn't like Ivan, so Ivan is forced to go to work for the local marijuana
farmers as a courier. However, his natural aversion to authority gets
him in trouble once again, and after he guns down a police officer
sent to arrest him, his days as a folk hero are numbered. The detective
in charge of controlling the pot industry (Winston Stona) puts pressure
on the locals to turn Ivan in or face starvation. However, the situation
does provide a boost to his musical career, as radio stations start
playing his single, "The Harder They Come."
Cliff is very good as Ivan. He was apparently cast after the director
saw pictures of him from his record sleeves; Cliff showed the right
combination of innocence and cynical awareness for the part. He's
by far the best actor in the film. Others don't fare as well. Basil
Keane, especially, comes off badly as the preacher, and Winston Stona
as the corrupt cop is flat. However, however bad the acting is, the
film is buoyed by a great reggae soundtrack featuring the songs of
Cliff and other singers not named Bob Marley. It was good enough to
make me go out and buy a Jimmy Cliff retrospective CD. I'm not a big
reggae fan. I had to listen to so much Bob Marley and UB40 in college
that I didn't think I had the stomach for it anymore. However, Cliff's
bouncy theme song and the wistful "Sitting in Limbo," among
others, were enough to convince me that there is more to reggae.
