Cast:
Jimmy Cliff (Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin), Janet Bartley (Elsa), Carl Bradshaw (Jose), Ras Daniel Heartman (Pedro), Basil Keane (The Preacher), Elijah Chambers (Longa), Bob Charlton (Hilton), Volier Johnson (Pushcart Boy), and Winston Stona (Detective Ray Jones) Directed by Perry Henzell.
Review:
"But I felt most realism was boring, very serious. I wanted to make realism lighter. I also realized I couldn't possibly write dialogue that was as good as what I heard people saying all around me. I was interested in capturing that poetry. That's sort of a cinéma vérité technique."
Admittedly, I had a bit of reluctance to cover the film until I felt it was just right to do so. It is technically a film in English, in that it is told in Jamaican English, but it also happens to include some Jamaican Patois as well, which I think makes for a curious film that is uniquely of the Caribbean, complete with being directed by a Jamaican in Perry Henzell. He was born in the parish of St. Mary's of Jamaica that studied for a time at both Shrewsbury School (before deciding to hitchhike across Europe) and McGill University (left to apply at the BBC, which resulted in stagehand work for a time). He left for Jamaica when he heard the country was soon to start having it there, for which he soon started his own company in Vista Productions. As such, he would soon direct countless commercials that honed his skills. In 1969, he got started on what would become this film, which was hamstrung by ebbs in financing that saw it shot in bursts. He co-wrote the film with Trevor D. Rhone and also produced the film. The film was inspired by the exploits of Rhyging, also referred to as Vincent "Ivanhoe" Martin. He was a noted Jamaican outlaw that escaped prison and did a crime spree that ranged from robbery to murder that saw him send messages to the press where he held a gun. True to the form of outlaws such as John Dillinger or Bonnie and Clyde, Rhyging met his end through the efforts of several bullets by the police; he has gone down as a legend within outlaws in the country along with serving as a sort of boogeyman figure (of course, the music aspect of the character in the film was not present in the actual outlaw). Incidentally, Prince Buster (one of the first big stars of Jamaica before Bob Marley) makes a cameo as a DJ in the film, and he had done his own song about Rhyging a decade earlier (hell, you want coincidences, Island Records, who had Jimmy Cliff on their label for a couple of years, later did their own film division and released Countryman, which had its own reggae soundtrack and a few actors from this film). Almost immediately, Henzell had ideas of doing a second film with "No Place Like Home", which he shot for a number of years with a variety of young actors, one of whom was Grace Jones. However, a lack of funds when it came to storing the footage led him to decide to become a writer and put the idea of finishing it out of his head when the footage was lost in the archives. Only the acquisition of Island Records by PolyGram (which in turn was acquired by Universal) helped in finding the long-lost footage, which required restoration. During this time, a musical was adapted from the film with script supervision by Henzell. An early cut of the film (with Henzell and fan/producer David Garonzik behind it) made its debut in 2006, with a Jamaica premiere happening the day after Henzell had died of cancer at the age of 70.
Yes, the first feature-length film in Jamaica (the country gained independence from the United Kingdom only a decade earlier) with Jamaican casts and director seemed about right for the occasion, complete with it being one of the key films involving a soundtrack of reggae music. It fits right at home with certain other films involving musicians as the star, because Jimmy Cliff was already a noted name with his talents in the genres of ska, reggae, and soul (thanks to his persistent efforts in convincing someone to enter the music business with his kind of songs). When he was approached by the director after a recording session to write the music, Cliff responded by saying "I can do anything", which eventually led to seeing the script and then getting cast. He performs a few songs here such as "You Can Get It If You Really Want" or the title track. Beyond the qualities that are apparent with a wavering project made to show both the qualities of life within the real places of Jamaica beyond the superficial to go hand in hand with the music is a curiously decent experience that meets its inevitable conclusions in the starcrossed man of fate with useful pacing for 109 minutes. It is a film that cribs cliches from various other genres such as the Western (who better to reference than Django, because a screening of it is seen briefly in the film), but it is a film with a distinct identity of Jamaica in all of its compelling aspects, one that shows people in their element, whether dealing the specter of services of the church or in the hustle of making what one considers a living (song-selling, drug-running, whatever have you). Cliff holds all of the desires and struggles that come with the would-be desperado, a man stubborn enough to let his quick desires punctuate his decision-making no matter where the road may lie. The film isn't so much about plot as it is the vibe that comes from the sounds that come through in music, which is pretty involving and right on edge for engagement in senses that are right at home for those familiar with crime films or, well B-movies. It is easy to see how this became a hit in its native country (less so internationally, but it did make a number as a midnight movie), because it is a generally involving time, one with perspective of the soul that makes for a film worth putting on in the middle of the night for the sake of hearing what the fuss is all about.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
Thank you, folks who have been interested in the third themed-August in Around the World in August. I was inspired to do this when I realized that the longest stretch of seeing world cinema films was a grand total of four, and it was only this year. I would think that this month was a success, considering that we saw 17 reviews and went through fifteen countries with a few new ones getting the spotlight. I'm not sure what should happen for next August or if there should be another world cinema month, but I'm always curious to try things out. After 55 reviews that I hope were quality stuff in July and August combined, September will be a modest showing for Movie Night. Thanks and see you later.
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