Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

grantss Good music but weak plot and performances.Jamaica. A young man from the country, Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin (played by Jimmy Cliff) heads into the city after his grandmother dies. He tries to get work, with little success, but his dream is to become a music star. He gets a single recorded but, though the song is popular, he doesn't get much out of it - the record company has the upper hand. In desperation he turns to crime.A reasonably historic film in that this was the first feature film produced in Jamaica. The movie also introduced reggae music to a wider audience.On that note, the music in the movie is great, and gives the movie a great vibe.However, the rest of the movie leaves much to be desired. Plot is pretty basic. It started off struggling to find a focus, but then when it does, it is pretty unoriginal, predictable and one- dimensional.No real character depth. You don't really feel that engaged with the character of Ivan. What little engagement you had goes out the window once he starts shooting people.Jimmy Cliff is okay in the lead role but the remaining cast are pretty wooden. Some quite cringeworthy acting at times.

Ali Catterall In September 1948, outlaw Ivanhoe 'Rhygin' Martin, entered Jamaican folklore after dying in a hail of bullets during a shootout with police in Lime Cay. 25 years later, reggae star Jimmy Cliff appropriated the rude boy's name and legend for his lead role in Jamaica's first feature film, a rough 'n' ready expose of homegrown corruption, class war and poverty. And homegrown. (Had this film been rendered in smellovision they'd have had to stretcher out entire audiences in stunned but happy droves.) A much-loved cult item since release, it also boasts one of the greatest soundtracks in the business, featuring the Maytals, Desmond Decker and, naturally, Jimmy Cliff.

bernie-122 "The Harder They Come, 12 February 2005 Author: Bored2Tears from United States This movie might be a little too complex for simple minds like the review I just saw above..." This idiot had the temerity to complain about somebody else's review, as well as rubbishing nearly everyone else for their lack of savvy regarding Jamaican culture and Reggae music.This jerk, who can't even spell, is the one who should be barred from owning a computer, if this is all he can manage to do with it.This is an awesome film; it is also very flawed, but the flaws don't necessarily detract from it. It is a very raw look at a very real slice of life in the Caribbean. If you like Reggae, then there's something wrong with you if you haven't already seen this.If you don't like Reggae, and/or you don't want to strain your ears for 100 minutes trying to follow the dialog, then don't bother with this.Everyone else will most definitely get something out of this amazing film.

Bucs1960 Back in the day it seemed that everybody had the soundtrack to this film but very few had seen it. As years went on, THTC begin to gain a cult status and became more readily available. It is probably one of the few movies with spoken English that is sub-titled. The patois which was created by the Rastafarians to replace Jamaican English (considered the language of slaves) is very difficult to understand, so the sub-titled version is recommended.The film stars the dynamic Jimmy Cliff as the "rude boy" Ivan who gets on the wrong side of a record producer who only wants to pay him a pittance for the song he has recorded. Things go from bad to worse and Ivan kills a cop, among others. Then the song becomes a hit and Ivan becomes a folk hero, running from the police. The ending is a little bit of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" as Ivan faces down his many pursuers for one last shoot out.This is not the Jamaica that we see in travel brochures but the real thing......poverty stricken and unlovely; however it has a terrible beauty of its own. Of course, the music is something you dream about, if you are a lover of reggae, ska and rocksteady. Nobody does it like Jimmy Cliff. He is simply phenomenal. Don't miss it!!!