THE HARDER THEY COME

Jimmy Cliff portrays a young man who moves to Kingston from the countryside to make his own way. He dreams about becoming rich and famous as a singer. But soon he recognises that this is easier said that done, and he becomes a wanted outlaw. The Jamaican reggae culture’s penchant at the time for dra- matic Italo-westerns becomes apparent in the film’s showdown. Now 50 years old, the first Jamaican feature film is a classic from the early days of a sub-culture that has shaped global pop culture like no other.