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View Full Version : The Harder they Come and Rockers



Urban Rubble
20th January 2004, 02:47
I know this is film, but I want it in music. Don't move it unless it must be done. I want the reggae fans to comment.

What do you think was the better movie ?

I think Rockers was better in nearly every way. For one, Horsemouth was a better character than Ivan. Ivan was stupid and greedy. When he was offered the $20 for his song he should have known that was the way the scene worked and taken it. By not taking the money he wasted all that time going around trying to sell his record. Also, Hilton never would have told the Asian guy to have the DJ's under play the record, the record would have gotten more play, thus giving the oppurtunity to build his name and make more records. Ivan's pride and greed made him hold out, the result was the demise of his music career.

He repeated the mistake when he tried to cut Jose out of his ganja money. If Ivan had not wanted more money they never would have had the cop go after him, he wouldn't have shot the cop and he could have continued living in the yard with his girl and making good money.

Horsemouth on the other hand hustled his ass off to get the money for his bike then further busted his ass by selling records. Then, when he already showed he was twice the character Ivan was, he got a job drumming in Jacob Miller's band at the club.

The story of Rockers was also better. Horsemouth was a good, hard working guy who only wanted his bike back. When he was that the mafia men were holding all these things, he stole them and gave them out to the people. The Harder They Come is basically the story of a greedy nutjob who just wanted to be famous, even if it meant his death.

At any rate, these are 2 of the greatest movies of all time that have 2 of my favorite scenes out of any movie ever.

In the Harder They Come it is the scene where the Rastas are swimming at the beach while "sitting here in Limbo" plays. If that doesn't make you want to move to Jamaica nothing will. On the right day, with the right amount of ganja in my system, that scene makes me cry. I want nothing more than to live on the beach in Jamaica in a shack with a radio, that is all I need. A shack, a radio with alot of reggae and some herb seeds.

In Rockers, it was the scene with Horsemouth and Burning Spear smoking the joint while Spear sang "Jah no Dead". That scene can also make me cry. I'm such a girl.

Rastafari
20th January 2004, 05:41
Never heard of Rockers, but am meaning to see (have been for about a year now) The Harder They Come.


sounds like good stuff all around.

canikickit
24th January 2004, 23:07
Never heard of Rockers

Man...I've probably mentioned Rockers twenty times to you. I suppose you never heard of Blood and Fire records either?


I agree anyway, Rockers is a far better film. The Harder They Come isn't that great just as a film, with regards to the plot and what not, but as a piece on the music industry and life in Jamaica, I think it's excellent.

Rockers is a pretty good film, even to non-reggae fans, I'd imagine.

I don't know if I'd be as harsh on poor Ivan though. :lol:
In fact, I think he was right to try and cut Jose out of the business, pure capitalist business a gwan.

Perry Henzel, the director of Harder They Come said that he felt the message was that you can't get it if you really want (originally it was going to be called "You can get it if you really want", another Jimmy Cliff song).

Rockers is great, the acting is much more realistic and it's seems less like a movie and more like a documentry. The reggae celebrities list is nice:

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace (who voiced the excellent track for Lee Perry, "Herb Vendor")
Jacob Miller
Dirty Harry
The Abyssinians
Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus
Kiddus I
Jack Ruby
Joe Gibbs
Sly Dunbar
Gregory Isaacs
Dr. Alimantado
Dillinger
Leroy Smart
Burning Spear
Big Youth


You should also check out the documentry "Roots Rock, Reggae", lots of nice footage and great sounds from Jamaica in the seventies.

Urban Rubble
26th January 2004, 00:25
The Mighty Diamonds are in Rockers as well.

Yeah, I have that Roots Rock Reggae video.

Mr Mojo Risin
26th January 2004, 20:26
speaking of videos, I once saw on tv a Bob Marley music video for Buffallo Soldier, it had the african slave fighters running around and stuff, just thought it was terrible that people are trying to make something like this from bob's music.

Rastafari
26th January 2004, 21:13
Originally posted by Mr Mojo Risin'@Jan 26 2004, 05:26 PM
speaking of videos, I once saw on tv a Bob Marley music video for Buffallo Soldier, it had the african slave fighters running around and stuff, just thought it was terrible that people are trying to make something like this from bob's music.
it was historically inaccurate as well.