Trevor Rhone and "The Harder They Come"

If you're not familiar with the name Trevor Rhone, that's not unusual. But he was a key figure in a cultural touchstone of the last fifty years.

When the movie The Harder They Come was released in 1972, it did much to raise awareness of reggae music, as well as Jamaican culture in general, throughout the world. Trevor Rhone was one of the two screenwriters, but the only black Jamaican of the two. When you watch the trailer below, notice that much of what we see is about community, a vibrant world in which the story is set, that is in some ways more important to the movie than the plot. Trevor Rhone, British-trained but a native Jamaican, was well-placed to serve as a bridge between his homeland and the outside world. He made the most of the opportunity. He spent most of his life as a playwright in Jamaica, placed within, celebrating, and reflecting his community.