The Harder They Come
“With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!”
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
Your rating
Your review
Cast
25 people
Jimmy Cliff
Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Known for
Club Paradise
Janet Bartley
Elsa
Also in
Black Christmas
Centre Play
Carl Bradshaw
Jose
Known for
The Mighty Quinn
Ritual
Ras Daniel Hartman
Pedro
No other roles listed
Basil Keane
Preacher
Also in
Countryman
Bob Charlton
Hilton
Also in
Detroit 9000
Winston Stona
Detective Ray Jones
Known for
Cool Runnings
Lucia White
Mother
No other roles listed
Volair Johnson
Pushcart Boy
No other roles listed
Beverly Anderson
Housewife
Also in
Defence of the Realm
Clover Lewis
Market Woman
No other roles listed
Elijah Chambers
Longa
Perry Henzell Director · Trevor D. Rhone Writer John Victor-Smith Editor
United States release February 8, 1973 · Produced in Jamaica · Production Xenon Pictures
Production
International Films
Production
Xenon Pictures
Production
Jamaica
Produced in
Hard Road to Travel · Rhygin
Working titles
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Jamaica · June 5, 1972
Premiere · Kingston
United States · February 8, 1973
Theatrical · New York City, New York
Germany
October 25, 1974 · Theatrical · Unabhängige Kinos
Italy
August 1, 1972 · Theatrical · Venice Film Festival
United Kingdom
September 1, 1972 · Theatrical · Gaumont Cinema, London
March 12, 2008 · Premiere · CH4 Film Jamaica
November 5, 2022 · Premiere · Leeds International Film Festival
More from Perry Henzell
Other films they directed, best known first.
If you liked The Harder They Come
Picks that share its genres, themes, cast and crew.
Some details come from TheTVDB.