I think "The Harder They Come" has been cut and re-cut many times over the years. I saw a current version of it recently, and it was not the same film I saw in 1972. There were many scenes I recall that were missing. I suspect no one commenting about the film on this site has seen the original 1972 release.
I have read that it was originally a revolutionary film, but was reduced to an anti-drug cliché diatribe through much re-editing.
When you saw it, did you see the following two things:
(1) On two occasions, when Jimmy Cliff's character got caned, they showed him stretched over a barrel with his penis hanging through a hole. Then he lost his water when the policeman hit him. They showed a close up of his penis hanging there with water coming out.
(2) When his character's new record became popular, a scene with a highly effeminate DJ, who used "love" and "lover" in every sentence, taking a telephone request for the record. "Hello Lover, this is Bob's love line. What do you want to hear, Lover?" Or some such.
I did not see these scenes when I saw the film recently, and I am sure there must have been many other things that were not the same as in 1972 original.
Does anyone know how to obtain and authentic 1972 version of this film?
Mike
