The Postcolonial Jamaican Outlaw Hero in Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come

Abstract

Abstract: Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come (1972, Jamaica) shows the harsh realities of Jamaica, an island that, since colonization, has been a compartmentalized, divided world. This article looks at how Henzell represents postcolonial Jamaica as a small place where there are two distinct social classes inhabiting the same island in the sun. After a brief history of cinema, both filmed and shown, in Jamaica, this article uses The Harder They Come to show that postcolonial Jamaica is just colonial Jamaica going by a new name. It also looks at Ivan Martin as an outlaw hero who belongs in the pantheon of other Jamaican outlaw heroes and freedom fighters such as Queen Nanny, Apongo and Tacky, Sam Sharpe, and Paul Bogle. The article further shows that, as an outlaw hero, Ivan becomes a living idea: he becomes something that, even after the last reel, cannot be killed.