A familiar story of retribution unfolds in the old west; a young man (Jonathan Winters) witnesses the murder of his entire family at the hands of a brutal cowboy (Idris Elba). As a man he forms a gang to hunt down the merciless cur, encountering numerous eccentric outlaws along the way.
The greatest weapons in this films arsenal are its spirited cast and boisterous style. The cinematography utilises bright colours and innovative framing to give the film a very unique and unpredictable feel. The use of unusual music also ensures that the film has a very unique identity which is compelling to experience on a big screen with a sophisticated sound system.
Jonathan Winters is fantastic in the lead. He’s a sensitive soul, a charming chance and a tormented killer who ably manages to embody everything the film demands of him. Elba is, of course, monumental in his portrayal of the villain of the piece. He’s a shameless coward, a ruthless criminal and a weary old hand all at once. Zazie Beetz brings fiery energy to an unconventional take on the damsel in distress role; Lakeith Stanfeld steals every scene he is in as a the well-spoken, but increasingly pragmatic gunfighter; Regina King is immovable as the callous matriarch of her crew; and Danielle Deadwyler is endearing but dangerous as the aspirational adventurer Cuthy.
As a gore-obsessed, horror-fanatic teenager I could never have envisaged the day that I would call a movie too violent. The problem with the violence in The Harder They Fall is that almost every scene involves a sudden death, in particular any sequence featuring Idris Elba. The effect is quite numbing. It plays like an adaptation of Blood Meridian but without the nihilism to justify the endeavor. The film is clearly Tarantino inspired, but Tarantino knows how to build to his violent sequences, and knows that not all deaths should be handled with equal viscera.
The style is very much like Leone and Tarantino but without the constraint. It’s a very bombastic show which may end up losing the substance amidst the noise. There’s very interesting intentions at the heart of the project. The idea was to take real black outlaws from the west and suppose an encounter between them. It’s a fantastic conceit that has the potential to shed light on some neglected black history. But although we recieve some backstory you don’t feel that you get to the heart of these characters and their experiences.
The Harder They Fall is a visceral and exciting experience on the big screen but may not hold up to the scrutiny of repeat viewings. It’s a great chance to have some excellent performers take on roles previously denied to them, and an exciting action movie that even manages to overcome the stumbling block of obviously CGI gore with inventive photography. But there was definately the potential to build a better town here.
Three Stars