In the film The Harder They Fall we get to witness a dynamic story of revenge, love, and duty that we all have come to enjoy with westerns.
The beauty of this movie produced by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and directed by Jeymes Samuel transcends the stereotypical western genre audience. It’s a film that can be enjoyed by everyone.
More importantly, the powerhouse cast of Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Lakeith Stanfield, and Delroy Lindo creates an unforgettable experience that is so needed in film today.
Fall opens with a ballad of infectious music. What I really enjoyed about this film’s soundtrack is the soul and heart that the music had. It instantly pulls you into this world we’re about to explore.
We meet a young Nat Love with his family at the dinner table about to partake in a hot meal when a band of outlaws interrupt the dinner and wreak havoc. It turns out to be a day that Love will never forget. This sets the events of the rest of the movie in motion.
Westerns have been synonymous with American culture more than homemade apple pie. What has been missing from them, though, has been the representation of minorities in these movies, and for the true stories of these times to be told.
There has historically been a severe lack of Black people in westerns even though the people and characters these films model after were in fact Black. White people weren’t the only ones who were cowboys. There are so many stories that need to be told.
Along with being a drama this movie unwittingly serves as an educational piece as well. It’s a chance for us all to look at how stories are told and how much representation matters in every single industry.
In a recent Twitter post Samuel shared how important it was to make this film and the inspiration of why he wanted to make this movie. Hearing him talk about these things was so fulfilling. We also had the opportunity to hear from King and Jay-Z as well, learning their perspective and the behind-the-scenes of how this film came into existence was such an honor. There was so much care and purpose taken in making this film.
The Harder They Fall is a captivating tale that has dynamic characters portrayed by world-class actors, and this is definitely a must-see movie. |THIS.
[By Alex The Host]
