Movie of the Week: The Harder They Come (1972)

The film & soundtrack that pretty much propelled reggae music (and Jimmy Cliff) into the international consciousness, The Harder They Come is the story of Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin (Jimmy Cliff) who moves to Kingston and struggles to find work. He proves to be a talented reggae singer, but can only release a record by signing away the rights to music mogul Hilton (Bob Charlton), who pays him a meager $20. His friend Jose (Carl Bradshaw) introduces him to the marijuana trade and Ivan eventually becomes a violent outlaw.

The hit record soundtrack includes now standard reggae fare with tracks by Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Toots & The Maytals, The Melodians, and others.

Buy the DVD here.
Buy the soundtrack here.