The Harder They Fall: Classic Western Revised

By Harry Brown 13 December 2021

Image Courtesy of David Lee/Netflix

Traditionally, the Western genre was dominated by the white faces of actors such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, as black actors were relegated to heavies like Woody Strode in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, or sidekicks such as Morgan Freeman's performance in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

Over recent years black actors have become prevalent stars in the genre, with Jamie Fox as the titular character in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Denzel Washington’s performance as the leader of the Magnificent Seven in Antoine Fuqua’s remake. Now, musician Jeymes Samuel in his directorial feature debut has made an all-black Western starring major Hollywood actors.

A fictional narrative based on real-life characters, The Harder They Fall focuses on gang leader Nat Love (Jonathon Majors) and his gang (Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler and Edi Gathegi) tracking down old enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba).

The Harder They Fall pays homage to long-standing traditions of the Western genre yet dares to transform into something bold and contemporary. Whilst revenge narratives (see Lee Van Cleef in For a Few Dollars More) and gang fights (see Tombstone) are not new to the Western genre, The Harder They Fall is enticing and engaging throughout.

The multiple well-choreographed gunfights aren't run-of-the-mill and find new ways to explore the conflict between its protagonists and antagonists by adding new emotional weight to each fight, alongside flashy and snappy energy in its editing and cinematography. Similarly, echoes to the classic money shots of horses riding valiantly through rolling valleys play over a classical Hollywood Western score, infused with stylish reggae and hip-hop.

Particularly noteworthy is the way in which the film successfully mimics the wit of a Leone Western, and Samuel’s demonstration of cinematic prowess in his use of extreme close-ups. Additionally, newcomer Jonathon Majors’ (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) performance as Nat Love is a delight to watch on screen. Not as stoic as previous Western stars, he adds a charm and emotional complexity to the outlaw – a welcome addition that inspires hope for Majors’ return to this world created by Samuels.

The Harder they Fall is a step forward for the Western genre, not just in representation but in its innovation. It builds off its predecessors whilst providing a refreshingly new take on the genre, making it a great watch for someone who has seen a hundred Westerns movies, or none.