THE HARDER THEY COME
Genre
Crime, Drama
Language
VOA
Duration
90
Rating
Synopsis
PARC AT MIDNIGHT
Ivanhoe Martin (Jimmy Cliff) arrives in Kingston looking for work. After some initial struggles, he 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 (Bob Charlton), soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. Also known as Rhyging, he deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
‘’The Harder They Come perfectly reflected the political climate of the times, when similar forms of anti-government movements were sweeping America and the world. Audiences were ready to identify with a film about a hero who would “rather be a free man in my grave/Than living as a puppet or a slave". A true vision of emerging Jamaican identity and a Midnight Movie cult favorite.” (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE)
Release year
1972
Release date
April 10, 2026
Directed by
Perry Henzell
Country
Jamaica
Actors
Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman, Basil Keane