Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

The Harder They Come Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 17, 2015

Perry Henzell's "The Harder They Come" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Odeon Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include Chris Browne's documentary "Hard Road to Travel"; archival interview with Jimmy Cliff; archival interview with film and record producer Arthur Gorson; new video program with director of photography David McDonald; archival interview with director Perry Henzell; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

"This man is trouble"

The first big Jamaican film made by Jamaicans tells the story of a young black singer (Jimmy Cliff) from the countryside who arrives in Kingston determined to get a record deal. After falling in love and stabbing a man who attempts to steal his bicycle, the singer records a single but gets cheated by the city’s biggest music producer. Shortly after, he befriends some shady characters and becomes a drug dealer.

The chain of events, however, isn’t that important. What makes the film so unique is actually its refusal to sell Jamaica as the beautiful exotic paradise the world assumed it was. Instead of promoting its sandy beaches and clean hotels, the film heads to the neglected back streets of Kingston and even visits one of its biggest garbage dumps. In a way it is a bit like Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider, a rebellious eye-opener with an attitude.

The bulk of the film has a raw documentary appearance, but this is hardly surprising as director Perry Henzell had plenty of experience in the documentary field. The camera constantly moves and is essentially treated as an unbiased observer whose goal is to document the singer’s reality as it is -- defined by extreme contrasts, frustrating and dangerous -- rather than capture it on film in a way that would intrigue the viewer and create a poetic image of Jamaica that is incredibly inaccurate.

The editing is also fluid. There are plenty of uneven segments that begin and end abruptly and therefore prevent the film from having a consistent rhythm. (There is another important reason for some of the unevenness as well. The film was shot on Super 16mm and director Henzell actually worked with multiple cinematographers because at one point he ran out of funds, though the bulk of it was done by David McDonald).

Of course, it is the legendary soundtrack that gives the film its identity. In fact, after a while it feels like the music was meant to be its main protagonist. As the singer begins to realize that Kingston not only does not tolerate the weak but seems determined to make them suffer, the music emerges as the only force capable of disrupting its misery machine. Everyone, from the wealthy businessmen to the well connected drug dealers, embraces it and allows it to temporarily remove the barriers that divide them and ultimately make them mistreat each other.

Despite the harsh contrasts, however, The Harder They Come isn’t a miserabilist film. It is a very energetic and at times even hilarious film that can be easily compared to some of the popular American blaxploitation films from the 1970s. Of course, the use of reggae tunes and especially the fact that it cannot be understood without subtitles even though plenty of English words can be heard in it certainly place it in a category of its own.

The title song, “The Harder They Come”, was recorded by Cliff specifically for the film. The rest of the legendary soundtrack features classic tunes by Toots & The Maytals (“Pressure Drop”, “Sweet and Dandy”), The Slickers (“Johnny Too Bad”), Desmond Dekker (“Shanty Town”), and Scotty (“Draw Your Brakes”), amongst others.

The Harder They Come Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Odeon Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a pre-existing master with some obvious limitations. Unsurprisingly, different parts of the film look quite rough. In addition to large scratches and marks, for instance, there is visible warping throughout the entire film. It isn't overly distracting, but its presence is definitely felt. Shadow definition is also unconvincing and as a result a lot of the darker/nighttime footage looks rather flat. There are no traces of problematic degraining and sharpening adjustments, but it is very easy to see that grain isn't as consistent and well resolved as it should be. Colors should be better saturated. Color balance also should be a lot more convincing (see screencapture #5). To sum it all up, at the moment this is certainly the best presentation of the film, but there is plenty of room for many serious improvements. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Harder They Come Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity is quite good, but depth could be better. Some extremely light background hiss is present, but it never becomes overly distracting. Balance is also decent, but if the audio is fully remastered it will be improved. The dialog is stable, but English speakers will have to use the English SDH subtitles to follow it. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions.

The Harder They Come Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Viewers residing in North America will need a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC in order to access the majority of the supplemental features listed below.

• The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff - original music video courtesy of Island Records. (4 min).

• Hard Road to Travel - this documentary film takes a closer look at the production history of The Harder They Come. Included in it are archival interviews with producer/co-writer/director Perry Henzell, production assistant/actress Beverly Manley, Chris Blackwell (founder of Island Records), co-writer Trevor Rhone, and financier Frank Pringle, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Chris Browne. In English, not subtitled. (52 min).

• One and All - reggae historian Roger Steffens, drummer John Densmore (The Doors), director Perry Henzell, and Jimmy Cliff, amongst others, discuss the success of The Harder They Come, the impact the film had on reggae music and its popularization, the soundtrack, and Jimmy Cliff's rebellious protagonist. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Interview with Jimmy Cliff - presented here is a rare archival interview with Jimmy Cliff. The interview was conducted by reggae historian Roger Steffens in 1986. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Interview with Arthur Gorson - in this archival interview, film and record producer Arthur Gorson talks about The Harder They Come and working with director Perry Henzell. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Interview with Director of Photography - in this new video program, director of photography David McDonald explains what inspired Perry Henzell to shoot The Harder They Come, and discusses his experiences and work during the production process in Jamaica, the funding of the film, the stock that was used to shoot the film (it was one of the fist to be shot on Super 16mm), the shooting of specific sequences, etc. The program was created by James McCabe. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Interview with Associate Producer Yvonne Brewster - in this new video program, associate producer Yvonne Brewster recalls how she became involved with The Harder They Come and discusses her contribution to the film, her interactions with Jimmy Cliff, the shooting of different sequences, etc. The program was created by James McCabe. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Arthur Gorson - Close Friend of Perry Henzell - in this archival interview, Arthur Gorson, who produced a record in Kingston around the time when The Harder They Come was released, discusses Perry Henzell's working methods and the success of his film. The interview was conducted in July 2006. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Conversation with Perry Henzell - in this archival video interview, director Perry Henzell discusses some of the key themes in The Harder They Come, the motivation that inspired him to shoot No Place Like Home, Jamaica and the side of it he wanted the world to see, etc. The interview was conducted before the premiere of No Place Like Home at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for Perry Henzell's film No Place Like Home. In English, without subtitles. (4 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for Wolfgang Büld's film Reggae in Babylon. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

The Harder They Come Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come is one of a few very big and important films that never received a proper DVD release in the United States. This new Blu-ray release from Odeon Entertainment makes it much easier to appreciate Henzell's artistic vision, but the film could and should look better in high-definition. Regardless, I still think that you should consider picking up the Blu-ray release because it has a very good selection of new and archival supplemental features, the majority of which will likely remain exclusive. The Blu-ray is Region-Free, but viewers residing in North America will need a Region-Free player to access all of the supplemental content on the disc. RECOMMENDED.