In recent years, there has been an influx of new films, featuring and created by Black actors, writers and directors. From Black Panther to Nope, Black people have been bringing their own stories and heritages to the screen in a wave unseen since the blaxploitation era of the 70s. One of these films “The Harder They Fall” (2021), stands out even three years after its initial release.
The film follows Nat Love, Mary Fields, Bill Picket, and Jim Beckworth (played by Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi and RJ Cyler respectively) as they go up against the infamous Rufus Buck and his crew, Trudy Smith and Cherokee Bill (played by Idris Elba, Regina King and LaKeith Stanfield) in a story of revenge, courage, greed and the friendships that one makes along the way. Although it’s predictable as far as revenge stories and Westerns go, there are plenty of plot twists to keep a viewer engaged. Along with an incredible soundtrack, featuring the likes of Jay Z, Koffee, Ceelo Green, and Kid Cudi; with an original score written by the director himself, Jeymes Samuel, that will have viewers running to Spotify as soon as the credits begin to roll.
This film uses the names of real American Black cowboys from the days of the Old West. Cowboys that have never been allowed to be shown on screen because that is not the narrative that white America wanted to tell. When Black productions teams make movies that tell Black stories it creates a new narrative, one where Black people are the victor and not the victim.
— Ayanna Beckett
But there are other reasons to take a Saturday night watching this film: it’s history. This movie is a love letter to Westerns and the people who have been excluded from the genre for far too long. This film uses the names of real American Black cowboys from the days of the Old West. Cowboys have never been allowed to be shown on screen because that is not the narrative that white America wanted to tell. When Black production teams make movies that tell Black stories it creates a new narrative, one where Black people are the victors and not the victims.
There are many reasons to see “The Harder They Fall”, even two years after its initial release: its humorous moments that will have you laughing out loud, the hint of romance between the main characters Nat Love and Mary Fields, the suspenseful moments that have you on the edge of your seat, but also the rich history that went into the making of this film. To paraphrase the movie itself: These events are didn’t happen, but these people were real.
*The Harder They Fall
Runtime:2hr 10 mins
Rating: R (For Violence and Language)
Streaming Service: Netflix
