Awhile back I wrote a very personal review of Perry Henzell’s 1973 film The Harder They Come. In writing it I re-discovered how documentarian and slightly prophetic Henzell’s only foray into movie making/directing was. But how does it compare to that other Jamaican cult classic Rockers.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary with a digitally re-mastered DVD release, Ted Bafaloukos’ Rockers stays within the defined boundaries of fiction.

The story of Horsemouth (Leroy Wallace), that takes him from struggling anyman to community hero, is entertaining, but certainly does not depict many realities. I find the characters and plot almost comical, closer to Trevor Rhone’s Smile Orange (a must see for those in search of Caribbean comedy), than the serious times, and not-so-subtle nuances The Harder They Come conveys.

The New York Times agrees (partially):
In fact, ‘’Rockers'’ is in many respects the better of the two. ‘’The Harder They Come'’ had the invaluable advantage of coming first, and the area both films cover is almost narrow enough to make a second seem superfluous. But ‘’Rockers'’ holds its ground, thanks to its funny, offbeat players and sinuous reggae score.

Ted Bafaloukos (who also did camera work on Cheap, Fast And Out Of Control) and Peter Sova (Tin Men, Donnie Brasco, Lucky Number Slevin) did an excellent job capturing the rugged yet tender beauty of the cast comprising mostly of Jamaican reggae musicians. It is also true that the designers at Brooklyn Industries (the New York clothing store for wannabe hipsters) has this film to thank for inspiring most of their clothing line, and that the soundtrack is worthy of scoring any dub connoisseur’s wet dream. But fans of the film shouldn’t take for granted that because the patois spoken is so heavy it requires subtitles, the film is communicating a ‘true’ or ‘real’ message. It is purely entertainment.

I once spoke with the couple that now owns the rights to Rockers. Fans firstly and business people secondly, the textile designers gushed about the film in the excited manner I expected from teens talking about their favorite rock star, rather than the holders and handlers of this small but valuable peice of Jamaican movie history.

A Jamaican myself, I feel that though the film does touch on some of the race/class conflicts affecting the country at the time, made five years later, it is a simplified but fun Robin Hood rip-off rendition of Henzell’s masterpiece.