The Harder They Come

In 1970s Jamaica, reggae singer Ivanhoe Martin (Jimmy Cliff) is conned out of his possessions in rural Jamaica and takes on a series of menial jobs under scrutiny from Longa, an older church worker. He pursues a romantic interest with the preacher's ward, Elsa, but their relationship is complicated by the church's disapproval. After being fired and brutalized by the police, Ivan turns to petty crime and becomes embroiled in Jamaica's underworld, earning local folk hero status while his record, "The Harder They Come," reaches the charts.