With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
- 6.5
- 1972
- Released
- 1h 43m
Jimmy Cliff
Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Janet Bartley
ElsaCarl Bradshaw
JoseRas Daniel Hartman
PedroBasil Keane
PreacherBob Charlton
HiltonWinston Stona
Detective Ray JonesLucia White
MotherVolair Johnson
Pushcart BoyBeverly Anderson
HousewifeClover Lewis
Market WomanElijah Chambers
LongaPrince Buster
DJ at DanceEd 'Bim' Lewis
PhotographerBobby Loban
FitzJoanne Dunn
BarmaidDon Topping
DJKarl Leslie
FreddieSandra Redwood
GirlUla Fraser
Elsa FriendCarol Lawes
Elsa FriendAston 'Bam' Winter
Drunk
Toots Hibbert
HimselfAdrian Robinson
Editor
Franco Nero
Django (archive footage)
Released
en
- #cinema on cinema
- #gangster
- #disc jockey
- #jamaica
- #church choir
- #reggae
- #parish
- #recording contract
- #record producer
- #record label
- #murder
- #marijuana
- #drugs
Reviews
<em>'The Harder They Come'</em> is entertaining crime flick fare. Jimmy Cliff brings a solid lead performance and some excellent music, which is certainly this film's strongest element; the eponymous track and "Sweet And Dandy" being my personal picks. The other cast members play their respective parts well. I've not got much more to note. Good music, enjoyable plot and sturdy messaging. What e
Firstly, a quick shout out for the new Garden Cinema in Holborn, London where I saw this recently. A small cinema, but it's great to see a new venue opening so give it a go if you are nearby. To the film, well that sees Jimmy Cliff as "Ivan" - a would-be reggae singer who manages to get himself a record deal with a fairly unscrupulous local producer. The song does OK, but he gets a pretty measly s