| The Harder They Come - Criterion Collection | 
 enlarge | Director: Perry Henzell
Actors: Jimmy Cliff, Janet Barkley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman, Basil Keane
Studio: Criterion
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy Used: $36.63
You Save: $3.32 (8%)
New (11) Used (11) Collectible (1) from $36.63
Avg. Customer Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 27317
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 103
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 1559409061
UPC: 715515010825
EAN: 9781559409063
ASIN: 1559409061
Theatrical Release Date: 1972
Release Date: October 31, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Complete with original disc(s), case, and artwork. In stock and ships today.
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Amazon.com
Director-producer Perry Henzel's all-Jamaican-made 1973 classic, one of the most beloved and longest-running of all international cult favorites, fiercely expresses the live-wire Jamaican spirit--an impoverished Africa tuned to American radio. The film also incorporates an archetypal passion for "outlaw" justice common to American Westerns, which were a staple of the Caribbean theater circuit at the time. Released just 12 years after Jamaica achieved independence, The Harder They Come also reflects the disenchantment that soon followed a massive post-independence exodus from the island's country hamlets to the tropical ghettos of Kingston, where a more grinding urban poverty awaited. Brilliantly shot, directed, written, and acted, especially by singer Jimmy Cliff in the leading role and Carl Bradshaw as his archenemy, the film tells an anthemic Jamaican story to seductive rhythms of a soundtrack that became a reggae bestseller. Ivan, a country boy who dreams of fame as a singer, rides into Kingston on a rickety country bus in the opening scenes, only to meet with disaster heaped on disaster, always at the hands of those masked as friends. In a breathless defining climax, Ivan finally breaks from his passivity and begins to wreak his revenge. Soon Kingston's music Mafia and the equally corrupt authorities are after him, but like the real-life people's hero (a man named Rhygin) on whom this character is partially based, Ivan leads them on a maddening chase--much to the delight of the people--eluding capture until the movie's shocking final moments. --Elena Oumano
Description
Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff is Ivan, a rural Jamaican musician who journeys to the city of Kingston in search of fame and fortune. Pushed to desperate circumstances by shady record producers and corrupt cops, he finally achieves notoriety- as a murderous outlaw. Boasting some of the greatest music ever produced in Jamaica, The Harder They Come brought the catchy and subversive rhythms of the rastas to the U.S. in the early '70s. Criterion is proud to present this underground classic in a new Director Approved special edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
 ?Cult Classic? October 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this because I heard it was a cult classic. Not the greatest but it did hold my attention even though the dialogue was a little hard to follow. I wound up using the closed caption. The sound track is the best thing about this movie.
 Good music October 6, 2008
It was a good over view of the time period and background of the reggae period. I enjoyed the movie and the music CD since I am a fan of the genre.
Harder They Come April 6, 2008
This is my favorite Caribbean movie. I have seen it numerous times and each time I find something new to focus on. The subtitles are helpful if you cannpt understand the Jamaican accent and or patois. The storyline is still relevant today. Great music and Jimmy Cliff is fantastic in his role. I feel cheated by the ending because I wanted the "bad guy" to redeem himself but the movie had to end I guess
A Wonderful Time Capsule February 12, 2008
The Hardet They Come is a midnight movie classic from Jamaica. It stars Jimmy Cliff and is actually based on the true story of Ivanhoe Martin, a Jamaican fokelore legend. The story has him coming from the countryside to make a living in Kingston. He tries to do things the right way, but ends up on the wrong track. He gets the chance to cut a demo and then gets ripped off by a sheisty music producer and then turns to a life of crime. Martin is now a vagabond on the run from the authorities and just before he slips away to Cuba, he is gunned down. Martin is one of the greatest anto-heroes in film history. This movie also has perhaps the greatest soundtrack in the history of film, stacked with early reggae classics like "Shanty Town (007)," "Johnny Too Bad," "Pressure Drop," and the title song. This movie has a charm and fell to it that you have to see in order to appreciate.
a must have Jamaican movie January 7, 2008
This was the first Jamaican movie I saw many years ago and the soundtrack is classic reggae. A must have for any reggae music lovers.
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