The Harder They Come (Perry Hanzell, 1972, Jamaica)

The Harder They Come was the first movie made in Jamaica by an entirely Jamaican cast and crew. It was a sensation everywhere it played—including as a midnight movie in New York for five years straight! Over 50 years later, the film is still electric with the feeling of discovery. A mix of musical and crime drama, the film follows the charismatic Jimmy Cliff, a rural musician who travels across Jamaica seeking fame through a series of odd jobs and stints as a laborer, recording artist, convict, ganja dealer, and outlaw folk hero.

The soundtrack remains one of the greatest albums of all time with wall-to-wall classics such as Jimmy Cliff’s “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross,” the Melodians’ “Rivers of Babylon,” and Toots and the Maytals’ “Pressure Drop.” (103 mins., 4K DCP)

See the entire A Summer Abroad: International Film Classics lineup.