The Harder They Come

Reggae star Jimmy Cliff is the principal reason that The Harder They Come was one of the first truly successful films to come out of Jamaica. Cliff plays Ivan, a young would-be singer who finds the going rough when he hits the big city of Kingston. Jailed for participating in a knife fight, Ivan is ...more

The ganja-fueled peace-and-love vibes of Bob Marley's best-known work have come to define reggae music in the minds of most Americans, but much of Jamaica's most potent music reflects a darker and tougher spirit that speaks of life in the Kingston slums where reggae first took root. Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come was the first independent feature film produced in Jamaica, and gave many Americans their first taste of reggae music; it's also a hard-edged story of poverty, crime, and outlaw ...more