Story Line
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.
“With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!”
Top Cast
Jimmy Cliff
Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Janet Bartley
Elsa
Carl Bradshaw
Jose
Ras Daniel Hartman
Pedro
Basil Keane
Preacher
Bob Charlton
Hilton
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Rating
6.5/ 10
Release Date
1972-08-01
Runtime
1h 43m
Genres
CrimeDramaMusic
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User Reviews (2)
CinemaSerf
6/10
•9/3/2022Firstly, a quick shout out for the new Garden Cinema in Holborn, London where I saw this recently. A small cinema, but it's great to see a new venue opening so give it a go if you are nearby. To the film, well that sees Jimmy Cliff as "Ivan" - a woul...
r96sk
8/10
•8/19/2025<em>'The Harder They Come'</em> is entertaining crime flick fare. Jimmy Cliff brings a solid lead performance and some excellent music, which is certainly this film's strongest element; the eponymous track and "Sweet And Dandy" being my personal pick...