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By Imara Ikhumen
The Harder They Fall is, as the title of this article suggests: an instant classic. For viewers like me who often have an aversion to “period-pieces” and/or westerns, I would recommend giving it a chance anyway. This film, directed by Jeymes Samuel (who handled music for the iconically anachronistic soundtrack of Great Gatsby, 2013), features no weak acting performances. It may be only his sophomore directorial step into feature-film, but it shows a tremendous degree of talent in both writing and stylization.
The film starts off immediately setting the tone for an exciting adventure through fun and fast paced editing which consistently compliments its action, western, and even comedic aspects. I cannot overstate how thrilling it was to watch and feel so seen and included (as a black person) in a western/period piece. This is rare when viewing most films of these genres. Even though The Harder They Fall is shot in the same way that classical westerns were, and it pays homage to many famous films of the genre, it is one of the most original films to come out this year. Despite taking place during the Civil War, the dialogue, which is quite funny, feels firmly planted in the twenty-first century. The surplus of comedic relief, vibrant, upbeat, and exciting direction makes the more than two hour run time fly by as well as softens the blow of the extreme violence which Samuel does not shy away from showcasing.
The music is very much anachronistic, but does not distract from belief in the setting of the film. This is because contemporary music is balanced out by exceptional set design and gorgeous costuming; all of which were period accurate as far as the average viewer (myself included) knows. In addition, there is a diegetic singing element which feels like an intentional allusion to the history of black music in the US and how it was used as a source of comfort and identity retention especially during peak slavery and civil war time.
I myself would not have probably watched this film had I not been asked to, but I am so glad that I did because out of more than 325 films that I’ve viewed this year, The Harder They Fall was among my favorites and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
