Black Girl Watching/ The Harder They Come at Metal

Perry Henzell’s now classic 1972 Jamaican crime drama, The Harder They Come, stars singer Jimmy Cliff as wannabe reggae star Ivan, who moves from the country to the bright lights of Kingston in the hopes of making the big time. Featuring a now legendary soundtrack that includes not only the track of the film’s title, but Cliff’s You Can Get It If You Really Want, Henzell channels Blaxploitation style and Western iconography as Ivan’s dreams see him run into corrupt record execs and drug pushing gangsters – each of which operate a strangling monopoly, leaving little space for an enterprising newcomer.

Indeed, Ivan is swindled out of the royalties for his music and his attempts at earning a living selling joints run afoul of a local agreement between crooked cops and local mob boss, Jose (Carl Bradshaw). Thrown in jail and left with little opportunity to make a living, the charismatic singer (Cliff’s swagger makes the movie) ultimately embarks on a killing spree that earns him fame and folk hero status: the further the violence escalates, the more his songs are heard.

Rough, raw and full of life, The Harder They Come was many international audiences’ first glimpse of Jamaica and indeed, their first encounter with reggae. Herzell cannily combines cineliterate genre thrills with comments on poverty and capitalism, as well as the limits and allure of stardom. Filmgoers attending the Black Girl Watching screening at Metal in Liverpool this August are invited to ponder such topics in a post-screening discussion, while there’s also a promise of good food and refreshments to accompany the good music and company.

The event is put together in collaboration with Liverpool African Diaspora Network and timed to coincide with Jamaican Independence Day.