Musician Jimmy Cliff plays the lead role. He is coming to the new town. He is in search of a job. Food-less and homeless, he wanders around in search of a job. Finally, he comes to a preacher. He takes up the job as a mechanic. He meets a young girl there and falls in love.The movie is a cult entertainer. There are so many mistakes of beauty. Music and violence leads the movie a entertaining. The language may be little hard for normal audience, in that case better to watch with sub titles."You Can Get It If You Really Want..." this should be in your minds after watching the film.#KiduMovie

This is rightfully regarded as a cult classic. It's a pretty unique movie on account of its setting. In fact, the geographical backdrop is one of the very best things about this one. It takes a raw look at life in poverty in Jamaica, with its story of a would-be singer who arrives in Kingston from the countryside. He soon gets involved in criminal behaviour after being ripped off by the local record company boss and becomes a folk hero off the back of these activities plus the popularity of his record 'The Harder They Come'.Jimmy Cliff stars in this one as the central character Ivan and he is excellent in the role. Particularly impressive given that he isn't a trained actor at all. There is a real authenticity to his performance. In fact all the characters here have a gritty realness to them, with the Jamaican setting on the whole presented in a nuts and bolts no nonsense manner that gives the film a highly authentic feel. It's this very unglamorised, truthful presentation that gives this film its edge for me. Additionally, this was the film that seriously increased the popularity of reggae out-with Jamaica. Aside from the superb title song there is 'You Can Really Get It If You Want It' as well as a handful of others by various other stars of the genre. The story is pretty simple but this straightforward narrative is used as a means of saying a lot of truthful things. The result is a highly distinctive genre film, with great flavour.NB: despite being English language, this one will require English subtitles for most people on account of the very heavy Jamaican patois used by many of the characters.

The Harder They Come is a seminal gangster film from Jamaica. It is not a very good film, being low budget with amateurish acting. Even some of the songs are recycled throughout the film.Ska legend Jimmy Cliff plays Ivan Martin, a young singer from the country who comes to Kingston to make a name for himself. In his first day in town he is robbed, he loses his bike and he realises to survive he better toughen up fast.He gets his bike back, he is punished by the police and he takes on the unscrupulous music mogul who exploits the artists he signs up (rather common in Jamaica at the time.)Before long Ivan becomes an outlaw and his record becomes a big hit but the police are on to him.The story is banal in places but the film has an infectious energy, it has attracted a cult following and is regarded for popularising reggae music to the world.Look out for a cameo by another Ska legend Prince Buster who plays a club DJ. Ironically both Prince Buster and Jimmy Cliff became Muslim converts.

I love this film, few people could pull off the role of ivan with the swagger and cool that Jimmy Cliff brings to the role. He oozes charisma despite the down and out nature of his character. The film has a real tangible feel to it, bringing to life monumental themes of poverty and desperation and inequality. I heard the soundtrack of this movie before seeing it, it is a superbly complimentary and toots and the scene of toots and the maytals in the studio is fantastic especially for lovers of reggae, this also adds credibility to the story and the era, at times the film feels more like a documentary. Beware it is at times hard to comprehend what the characters are saying but this too gives the film an authentic Jamaican feel.