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Catalog/Crime/The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come poster
A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 77.2 / 100
1972·Crime / Drama / Music·2h

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.

Above the Line
Perry Henzell·DirectorTrevor D. Rhone·WriterPerry Henzell·WriterJimmy Cliff·MusicRichard White·Editor
Cast
Jimmy Cliff·Ivanhoe "Ivan" MartinJanet Bartley·ElsaCarl Bradshaw·JoseRas Daniel Hartman·PedroBasil Keane·PreacherBob Charlton·HiltonWinston Stona·Detective Ray JonesLucia White·MotherVolair Johnson·Pushcart BoyBeverly Anderson·Housewife
Full Crew
(18 credits)
Directing· 1
Perry Henzell·Director
Writing· 2
Trevor D. Rhone·WriterPerry Henzell·Writer
Editing· 3
Richard White·EditorReicland Anderson·EditorJohn Victor-Smith·Editor
Sound & Music· 5
Jimmy Cliff·MusicDesmond Dekker·MusicThe Slickers·MusicBob Povey·SoundBurning Spear·Sound
Art & Design· 1
Sally Henzell·Art Direction
Production· 3
Chris Blackwell·Executive ProducerPerry Henzell·ProducerJeff Scheftel·Producer
Other Departments· 3
David McDonald·CinematographyPeter Jessop·CinematographyFranklyn St Juste·Cinematography
By the Numbers
77.2
OF 100
Master Score
6.8
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Harder They Come's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#FFFFFF
#800080
#FF0000
Mood
Dynamic, Rebellious
Composition
Centered
Era
1970s
Visual Style
Illustrated

“An illustrated movie poster for 'The Harder They Come' features a central male figure in a patterned shirt, striped pants, and a cap, holding two revolvers, one”

crimemusic
Key Elements
RevolverMotorcycleCarSunglassesCap
Atmosphere
Vibrant
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Urban
Design Score
8/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
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Every catalog entry where Perry Henzell is credited as director.

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GEN
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