Best of 2021: Mixing History & Modernity in the Costumes of “The Harder They Fall”
This interview is part of our highly subjective, decidedly non-comprehensive “Best of 2021” year-end list. It was originally published on November 2.
The Harder They Fall, Netflix’s addition to the world of Westerns from director-writer Jeymes Samuel, is not a monochromatic throwback set on the dusty frontier. Honoring the names of historical characters like Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) and Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz) while leaving most of their actual histories behind,
How “The Harder They Fall” Hair Department Head Araxi Lindsey Put History to Work
There are plenty of recognizable names in The Harder They Fall. For his Western epic, director-writer Jeymes Samuel references historical figures like mail carrier Mary Fields, cowboy Nat Love, outlaw Rufus Buck, sharpshooter Bill Pickett, and lawman Bass Reeves. In Samuel’s modern update, however, the film’s characters align with their historical reference points’ careers (with the exception of Mary, now a saloon owner), but otherwise, the story is all new.
Upon learning that Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is being transported from prison,
“The Harder They Fall” Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. on Reimagining the Wild West
In The Harder They Fall, now streaming on Netflix, director Jeymes Samuel (who also co-wrote and scored the film) revisits the deserts, saloons, and lonely train cars of the Old West. Taking names if not the exact stories of real people from the region’s history, the film follows Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) as he searches for Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), a villain’s villain who opens the film by murdering Nat’s parents and carving a cross into the young Nat’s (Anthony Naylor Jr.) forehead.
Mixing History & Modernity in the Costumes of “The Harder They Fall”
The Harder They Fall, Netflix’s addition to the world of Westerns from director-writer Jeymes Samuel, is not a monochromatic throwback set on the dusty frontier. Honoring the names of historical characters like Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) and Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz) while leaving most of their actual histories behind, the film is centered around a complicated, fictional rivalry between two outlaw gangs seeking revenge and vying for control of a frontier town called Redwood.
“The Harder They Fall” Trailer Reveals First Look at Star-Studded Western
The first trailer for writer/director Jeymes Samuel’s The Harder They Fall has arrived, revealing a star-studded Western that pits two rival crews facing off in an epic High Noon-level showdown. The action in The Harder They Fall is set into motion when Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is sprung from prison. This doesn’t sit well with Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), who has a long-standing grudge against Rufus that he wears on his face every day in the form of a cross dug into his forehead with a knife.
Why I’m Thrilled About Netflix’s All-Black Western “The Harder They Fall”
As a kid, I enjoyed spending quality time with my grandfather. I remember imitating a lot of things he did, like driving his white Ford pickup truck with the hatch removed, or reading the newspaper alongside him after school. Little did I know he was setting the tone for what would lie ahead for me today. He didn’t watch much TV, but one thing he always enjoyed was a good western movie. Every Christmas, birthday,
