The Harder They Come
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Harder They Come | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Perry Henzell |
| Written by | Perry Henzell Trevor D. Rhone |
| Starring | Jimmy Cliff |
| Release date(s) |  1972 (premiere at Venice Film Festival) February 8, 1973 |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell. It stars reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who plays Ivanhoe Martin, a character based on Rhygin, a real life Jamaican criminal who achieved fame in the 1940s.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Ivanhoe Martin is a poor Jamaican man in search of a job before finally getting one as a reggae singer. Upon the verge of a hit record, he discovers the only way he can get a hit record is by signing away the rights, whereupon he turns to a life of dealing marijuana.
[edit] Reception
The Harder They Come was released in February 1973 in New York City by Roger Corman's New World Pictures to little attention. It became more popular when it was played to midnight audiences nationwide the following April.
The film is referenced in the Clash song "Guns of Brixton" and also in their song "Safe European Home". In 2005, it was developed into a stage musical by the Theatre Royal Stratford East and UK Arts Productions in London. Adapted by Henzell himself, it opened on 25 March 2006.
The soundtrack to the film is considered as the breakthrough for reggae in the United States. While the sales were initially low, the lasting influence of the music still lives on in today's music.
[edit] Title song
The film played a major part in bringing reggae to America, and the title song was a popular single: in 2004, it was ranked #341 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Jerry Garcia performed the song frequently from 1973 until his death. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones covered it in 1979 as a B-side to the Christmas single "Run Rudolph Run". Johnny Thunders' and Wayne Kramer's short-lived band Gang War performed the song live on the Channel Club in Boston, USA, on June 20, 1980. Willie Nelson covered it on his 2005 reggae album, Countryman, which originally appeared with a pot leaf on the cover of the CD; the release of Nelson's version was accompanied by a video filmed on location in Jamica. It has also been covered by Rancid. The song is the entrance music for heavyweight boxer Samuel Peter.
