Direction: Jeymes Samuel
Country: USA
Boasting an African-American cast in its vast majority, The Harder They Fall is a very musical if unadventurous contemporary western that presents physical and gunned showdowns at the sound of hip-hop, reggae, R&B and funk. If the soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous and the execution qualified, then the narrative reveals problems of its own, following excessively caricatured characters.
British filmmaker and singer/songwriter Jeymes Samuel (known in the music field as The Bullitts) had already probed the western genre in his unnoticed debut feature, They Die by Dawn (2013). Curiously, his new effort, places the same historical characters at the center of a fictional story orchestrated with flamboyance. His grasp of the rhythms and the accented notes of the Western idiom is undeniable. However, the plot is invested in so many components that becomes wobbly in its intentions. Although there's enough action, the film is clearly in need of a judicious editing and a bit more of sobriety. It’s a messy vengeful affair that only sporadically works; a wild fun that feels exasperatingly two-dimensional.
The extremely feared criminal Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is set free by his terrorizing gang while transferred from one prison to another. On the rampage, he re-conquers Redwood but his intentions are thwarted by the notorious outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) who wants to take revenge on him for the death of his parents.
More showy than effective, The Harder They Fall dives into far-fetched shootouts before a dramatic finale with an added twist. Putting all things in perspective, it has nothing particularly engaging worth recommending.
