Social history in musical form

Social history in musical form

When Jamaica’s first feature film The Harder They Come opened in Kingston in 1972, there was such excitement that each seat in the cinema was occupied by at least three Jamaicans. Trevor Rhone, who co-wrote the screenplay with the director Perry Henzell, explained the reason for the enthusiasm to me: “The film marked a seismic shift in the people’s perception of themselves.” Used to idolizing Hollywood stars like John Wayne and Jane Mansfield, “…