Reviewed By-Frankie Marino
1973 Perry Henzell
Jamaica
Starring Jimmy Cliff
I never was a big fan of Reggae, in fact, I would probably say I can’t fucking stand it. Despite my musical preferences, this 1973 Jamaican-produced film was a very enjoyable experience. Reggae singer-songwriter Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan Martin, an ambitious country bumpkin who goes to the big city after his grandmother dies to make it big. The film follows Ivan’s first few days in the city, looking for jobs, scrounging in the dump for food (one lucky guy found a whole carton of eggs!) During a night out on the town with a pot dealer, the two catch a showing of Django-yes Django. Pay attention, because this will pop up again. Eventually Ivan gets help through the church. A not-so-kindly preacher gives him a job in his shop, but gets rubbed the wrong way when Ivan takes a liking to his daughter. Ivan builds a bike from spare parts around the shop so he can take her out for a ride. (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more. ) Ivan is busted one night in the preacher’s church jammin’ his boogie woogie music on the sacred guitar, and gets fired. He shows up the next day to pick up his bike, but his asshole co-worker says the bike belongs to the preacher ‘cause it was made from parts from his yard. Ivan Nah take nah shit mon, and cold sticks him with a knife. The two scuffle for awhile, leading to the film’s best scene: Ivan knocks the guy down, yelling “you want dead?” then, he says “don’t fuck with me” punctuating each word with a slash to the face
don’t (SLASH) fuck (SLASH) with (SLASH) me (SLASH)
this lands poor old Ivan a stint in the slammer, where in a scene right out of Barbed Wire Dolls, he’s stripped nekkid, tied over a barrel and lashed till he pisses himself. When he gets out he’s more determined than ever to make it big. He records a song (The Harder They Come) with the local seedy record producer. The song is a huge hit, but Ivan is only paid $20 for it. Ivan needs to make the bling-bling for his lady, so he goes looking for a job.
There’s some sort of law that all country bumpkins who go to the big city must rise through the ranks of a mob family or drug smuggling ring. The mob isn’t to prominent in Jamaica, so Ivan starts slingin’ ganja. Things are going fine until Ivan decides he wants a bigger cut. The higher-ups tip off the cops about a delivery Ivan’s making. The man gives chase and Ivan shoots him. Then he shoots the dealers girlfriend. then he shoots three more cops. So Ivan’s not exactly a hero, standing up for his rights like all those guys from the Bob Marley songs. He’s more like a egotistical asshole murderer. But he does have a cool accent. The end of the film has Ivan surrounded on an isolated stretch of beach by heavily armed police. Ivan comes out blazing with a revolver in each hand. Quick shots of the audience from the theater where Ivan watched Django are intercut-as if the crowd is cheering for him. The whole thing is very effective and raises the entire film a few points. What is essentially a mix of your typical Elvis movie and Sweet Sweetback’s Badassss song is saved by better than average acting from damn near everyone involved, as well as some occasionally stunning camera work and montage. The film, at times, has a documentary feel to it-but it helps convey the feeling of separation between the lower and upper classes. Jeez, I’m sounding like a film professor. Even with a plethora of strikes against it to start out, THE HARDER THEY COME remains a great, hard hitting slice of 70’s action.
4 Bitch Slaps