A 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack, which is said to have "brought reggae to the world". Enormously successful in Jamaica, the film also reached international market and has been described as "possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean".
The Harder They ComeReggae legend Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan an aspiring young singer who leaves his rural village for the capital city of Kingston hoping to make a name for himself. Robbed of his money and possessions his first day in town, he records a song for an unscrupulous music mogul who exploits naïve hopefuls. When the song becomes a hit and he is not paid, the simple country boy turns outlaw; at war with both the police and rivals in the ganja trade while he rises to the top of the pop charts ...and the most-wanted lists. The SF Chronicle has identified that this film is second only to The Rocky Horror Picture Show in having the longest consecutive theatrical run in the U.S.