Rockers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Rockers Blu-ray Movie Review

If you thought 'The Harder They Come' was the be-all end-all of Reggae films, you haven't seen 'Rockers.'

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 20, 2010

Most people talking about 1978’s Rockers, the quasi-documentary about Jamaican Reggae culture, tend to begin their comments by drawing a straight line from 1972’s The Harder They Come, the Jimmy Cliff opus which introduced a lot of people to the propulsively rhythmic music of the island nation. As perhaps non-intuitive as it may seem, I’d like to begin my comparative analysis with a much older film, the gorgeous 1959 masterpiece Black Orpheus. As I watched Rockers, I was repeatedly reminded of the Marcel Camus film for a number of reasons. Both Rockers and Black Orpheus are impeccably well crafted films (if Rockers suffers somewhat from its lackluster production budget) which present unflinching portraits of a culture drowning in squalor. The unbelievable favelas (slums) of Rio, built seemingly atop each other up the verdant hills surrounding that Brazilian city’s gleaming urban center and bay, house a population of improbably hopeful souls, from whom some of the most haunting music ever played emanates. That very same spirit permeates Rockers, a film which similarly exults in a certain “power to the people” ethos, as it documents the travails of Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, more or less playing himself (as most “characters” in the film do), an erstwhile drummer who finds his dreams temporarily sidetracked by a mobster element which steals his beloved motorcycle.

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace

There is no doubt parallels can be drawn between The Harder They Come and Rockers, though they hinge on a certain irony. If both films are filled to the brim with the scintillating music of Jamaica, the Cliff opus portrays a man confronted by an impossible choice who therefore turns to a life of crime to achieve at least material comfort, if not the stuff of his dreams. In Rockers, we see a whole underclass fighting that very same criminal element. In fact in Rockers the music is such an organic part of both the film and these peoples’ lives that there doesn’t seem to be any real quest for a career, as there is in The Harder They Come. Though “Horsemouth” may start the film talking about getting some drumming gigs, we see music erupt from both him and others in the film at virtually every moment that in a way it doesn’t matter if it’s his career or not—the music is there, one way or the other.

Some filmmakers benefit from simply being in the right place at the right time, and producer Patrick Hulsey and director-writer Ted Bafaloukos had the good fortune to be in Jamaica at the height of the nascent Reggae movement. What started out to be a documentary slowly morphed into a slightly fictionalized tale that nonetheless includes so many “real” moments that it really is, for all intents and purposes, a completely natural and lifelike depiction of the musically gifted, though incredibly poor, population of Kingston in the late 1970s. “Horsemouth” makes an incredibly appealing lead character, if one understands “character” at least as much in its figurative sense as in its literal. What really sets Rockers apart though is its casual verité ambience, which ably and viscerally brings the day to day life of these people exuberantly home to the viewer, without any pretense or artificiality.

What has really made Rockers the cult item it has become, though, are the many musical performances, both on screen and in the soundtrack. We get some great in studio shots of such legendary locales as Jack Ruby’s and Harry J’s, where some of the most epochal reggae recordings were waxed. Bafaloukos manages to meld these musical interludes, if they can even be termed as such, into the story with such seamless integrity that he has crafted one of the more expert film musicals of that era. The song choices ably comment on the on screen action while also providing pure and simple entertainment. Among the many artists featured in the film are Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Inner Circle, and a host of other artists who helped make Island Record such a phenomenon 30 years ago. But Bafaloukos’ organic approach means that these performances are not merely promotional. Note how the director, from the very first long shot featuring “Horsemouth,” weaves the music effortlessly into the proceedings. A horn piece plays as “Horsemouth” makes his way through the colorful streets of Kingston’s slums, and one might understandably simply think it’s underscore, until “Horsemouth” rounds a final corner and there is a makeshift brass band rehearsing the piece we’ve been hearing.

If Bafaloukos’ actual plot elements are little more hoary, combining elements as disparate as The Bicycle Thief with Robin Hood, it ultimately doesn’t denigrate the film experience, due largely to the completely natural and unforced “acting” of the participants. It’s bracing to see these people lighting up their “ganga” without a care in the world, and participating in almost ritualistic fervor as they make music music together. This element especially is what reminded me most of Black Orpheus--a people supposedly oppressed by their economic circumstances who nonetheless rejoice and create some of the most exciting music possible. Bafaloukos manages to give us equal parts humor and pathos in Rockers, all set to the vibrant beat of reggae, and the result is one of the most uniquely remarkable and memorable films not just of the late 1970s, but perhaps of the last half century. If it’s not quite at the masterpiece level of Black Orpheus, it’s certainly head and shoulders above The Harder They Come, a film which still seems to eclipse Rockers in many peoples’ minds as the defining cinema treatment of reggae. If you’re one of those people, you owe it to yourself to experience Rockers. You won’t regret it.

Rockers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

When assessing Rockers' 1080p VC-1 encoded image, the viewer must separate the Blu-ray's quality from the source elements themselves. Most, if not all, of Rockers is shot verité style, with natural lighting. What that means is many scenes appear too dark and underdeveloped. When mixed with the black faces of many of the participants, that can lead to indistinguishable features, for example in the opening alleyway scene of the brass players, where at least one or two of the faces simply appear to be two eyes set into a shadowy orb. On the other hand this is one of the most splendidly colorful Blu-rays in recent memory, with gorgeously saturated reds, blues and greens. The film itself betrays its poor film stock, with softness and sometimes too abundant grain, especially, again, in the darker scenes. Detail is often quite remarkable, with faces, at least in brightly lit moments, showing every line and dreadlocks showing every tightly wound hair. But it's the color that will probably delight most viewers here, and it really is beautifully rendered. There are some very slight damage issues to report, notably in the closing credits sequence, where flecks of white and other debris are quite evident. The bulk of the film, however, is in remarkably good shape for its age.

Rockers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's no lossless audio on this Blu-ray, which may turn some audiophiles off considering the film's emphasis on music. That said, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is quite robust in and of itself, offering good fidelity and a surprising amount of low end most of the time. I wasn't overwhelmed with surround effects, though they creep into the soundfield in the many street scenes, and are much more noticeable in the many musical segments. The film defaults to English Jamaican Patois subtitles in order to make the dialogue more understandable. While the dialogue is at least partially incomprehensible, fidelity and directionality are strong. There's some very minor hiss on the high end at a few quieter moments, but it's not very distracting. Spot checking the 2.0 fold down revealed an excellent, if obviously narrower, soundfield. The music was much more vibrant on the 5.1 mix, as you would expect, and if you have that capability, I recommend sticking with that audio option.

Rockers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Probably the biggest overall disappointment for fans of the film is the fact that this Blu-ray offers no supplements. It's especially odd when you consider the 25th anniversary SD-DVD release had several excellent bonuses.

Rockers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Still largely a cult title thirty-odd years since its release, Rockers is a charming and affecting piece of filmmaking, ably blending real life characters and the burgeoning Reggae movement in Jamaica of the late 1970s. This Blu-ray has its pluses and minuses, but the film itself is a treasure and deserves to be more widely known and seen than it has been.