'The Harder They Fall' Review: An Unrelentingly Stylish Reimagining of the Western
Jeymes Samuel flips the script on everything we thought we knew about the Western, crafting an effortlessly cool and explosively entertaining bloodbath.
A film that prides itself on being the first Black-Western, ‘The Harder They Fall’ is a viciously brutal and wildly captivating adventure from start to finish, boasting incredible performances from the whole ensemble that bring their characters to life in the most entertaining of ways. It’s the type of film that’s almost impossible to dislike, showcasing its unique style at every possible opportunity and building a world that’s unbelievably easy to lose yourself in. It’s hard to believe that this is Samuel’s feature debut, as the film showcases some real behind-the-screen talent that we rarely see from first-time filmmakers - from his refined directorial choices to the enchanting performances that he pulls from his actors, Samuel has managed to create an absorbing experience that’s bound to go down as one of the year’s highlights.
When fugitive cowboy Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) returns to his home town after several years of exile, he soon learns that the remaining members of his gang have found themselves entangled in a dangerous rivalry with known associates of the imprisoned Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), who coincidentally is responsible for the murder of Love’s parents several years prior. When Buck’s gang, led by ‘Treacherous Trudy’ (Regina King) and ‘Cherokee Bill’ (LaKeith Stanfield) manage to break their leader out of prison, Love realizes that an all-out war isn’t far behind. He recruits his old friends Mary (Zazie Beetz) and Jim (RJ Cyler), and prepares to end his feud with Buck once and for all.
The film’s opening credits feature a simple sentence that immediately sets up the tone of the film, and gives a lot of insight into Samuel’s priorities as a director - ‘These. People. Existed.’ It’s clear that his characters are his first concern, as he manages to weave complex and emotionally resonant character arcs into such a brutal and bloody story with relative ease, making the audience truly care about even the most seemingly insignificant individuals. Our two leads are expertly written and acted, but one of the film’s particular charms is that its supporting cast is so diverse and entertainig that they often end up stealing the show in many scenes. It’s extremely refreshing, and marks a well-needed change from the aesthetic-focused style of many recent entries of the genre. That’s not to say the film doesn’t also take pride in its visuals, because it absolutely does. Everything from the breathtaking cinematography, the perfectly choreographed action sequences and even the position of the actors on set is done with a precise care that gives the film an extra layer of visual appreciation and technical prowess.
As he introduced the film before its premiere at the London Film Festival, director Jeymes Samuel mentioned that his primary intention in making this film is not to rewrite history from a black perspective, but to educate audiences of the endless black stories that have gone untold as a result of our white-centric storytelling in art and media. He wants to be clear that as unbelievable as these characters are, they embody real people who have been forgotten by history because of their race - and he does a fantastic job of honouring their legacy and making them as memorable and entertaining as they should be. When asked what he wanted for audiences to take away from his film more than anything, Samuel answered one thing - a desire to learn more about these people and their incredible stories. And that’s exactly what the film does best.
What the film doesn’t quite perfect, sadly, is its structure and pacing. There are moments throughout the middle of the film where the plot really begins to drag thin, and that results in an unjustifiably long runtime that often feels overly noticeable. It’s never boring - there’s always something entertaining to feast your eyes on - but there are moments that linger a little too far outside the main storyline for a little too long. It doesn’t have that much of a negative impact thanks to the consistently charming performances, visuals and music choices that manage to hold your attention, but it’s certainly noticeable throughout the second act.
Ultimately, The Harder They Fall was a fantastic way to open the festival and marks an important milestone not only for these actors, but for the future of black stories in history being represented accurately in film. It’s wildly entertaining, bursting with style and charisma, and extremely accessible for all audiences - I can definitely forsee this being a huge hit when it hits Netflix in November, don’t miss it!