THE HARDER THEY COME

Jamaica, 1972, 120 minutes, Colour.
Jimmy Cliff.
Directed by Perry Henzell.

The Harder They Come is a very interesting film. It is one of the first of the films made in Jamaica by the Jamaicans themselves. It has a freshness and a vigour and portrays a lot of the social climate of Jamaica in the early seventies. The hero, Jimmy Cliff, is an ordinary boy from the country who has a talent for music. He dreams of success in the city. Through a series of accidents and shrewd dealing he becomes a top-selling star with his brand of reggae music. Unfortunately for him, he gets involved in criminal background and drug-running. It destroys him. The plot itself is interesting but it had added value with the strong performance of Cliff and the supporting cast as well as the light thrown on life in Jamaica and its portrayal of reggae music and its popularity.

1. Critics were agreed with the quality of this film, its reputation?

2. The first Jamaican made feature? Its success, competence? Technical content, Jamaican tone and atmosphere, for Jamaican audiences, for overseas audiences?

3. The importance of music, the tone of some of the lyrics, the reggae background, sounds, style, social implications? The importance of the shoes? The importance of using patois with the sub-titles?

4. The atmosphere of Jamaican nationalism and nationality, the feeling of Jamaican independence, their experience of 300 years, anti-colonialism? The wealthy American influence, businessmen, the comparison of the traditional? The presentation of ordinary villagers, corruption,t big business, the police? The visual presentation of the contracts in Kingston with the villas and the slums? The importance of the American influence?

5. The contrast between the West Indies, the colonial heritage, reaction to America, self-assertion, with the experience of Latin America? The differences? Attitudes towards revolution and social change? The desperation of the Jamaicans but not the intensity of the Latin Americans?

6. The fact that the film was based on the main star’s own story in many ways. experiences? A star vehicle for Jimay Cliff? The strength of his portrayal of Ivan, sympathy and understanding, intensity?

7. The central focus of the film on the character of Ivan: how real did he seem, a symbol of modern Jamaica? The visualizing of his home in the country, the country boy going to the city to make good, the initial impact of the city with visuals, sounds, way of life? The atmosphere of Kingston as an environment? The attraction of city life and his feeling at home?

8. The experience with the preacher and with Elsa? Sympathetic characters, yet with the limitations and the influence of the traditional colonial attitudes? The preacher's values and the way that he ran his house? His governing of Elsa? Attitudes towards sexuality, music? The severity? Ivan and his being influenced by the preacher and relying on him yet not feeling at one with his values? The contrast with religious music and reggae? Sexual attitudes and his desire for Elsa? The contract with the Rastafarian sect? The use of drugs, hallucinations, high experiences? And yet Ivan being used by these sect members?

9. The ambition of the Jamaican man to be a star, success as a singer? The exuberance of his sense of rhythm, singing? As portrayed in the slums? The reaction of the preacher? His luck in being able to have a record made? The popularity of song, records in Kingston? The demonstration record and the discovery of the exploitive side of the record business? The detail of this, personalities involved, bribes and persuasion? The calculated popularity? Risks, promotion of the managers? Ivan rebelling against this and his being blacklisted? The effect on his future?

10. The characters of Pedro, Jose? Friendship, enmity? The immersion in the drug world, his being used, a new world of gangsterism and corruption?

11. Ivan's rebelling and turning towards justice, the police and finding that they were enmeshed in the gangster world? The critique of the police world and the personalities, administration, corruption, injustice?

12. The feelings of desperation and the audience sharing them when he was trapped, whipped? And the irony of his becoming a folk hero, his record being played? The ordinary people thinking him a hero, and their being exploited by the record company, the radio stations?

13. The character of Elsa, her love and support for Ivan? Moral questions and the approval and disapproval of the preacher?

14. Ivan on the run, victim, desperation? The irony of his final imagining himself as a hero of a film, the comic strip approach to heroism? The prelude to his death? The inevitability of his death and being victimized? As a symbol of capitalism and ruthless corruption for the Jamaicans?

15. The film as a human document, a portrait of society, an analysis of a heritage? A portrayal of an individual in his environment? A film which cared for people and gave great attention to detailing their presentation? A valuable film?