The Harder They Fall Live chat with Netflix’s Strong Black Lead and Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Netflix’s Strong Black Lead on Twitter spaces hosted the greatest event in Black culture of the year.

This event was for Netflix’s new original film The Harder they fall, a Black Western, written and directed by Jeymes “The Bullitts” Samuel and starring Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Lakeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, Edi Gathegi and many more.

                           Who was all there?

The event was just as amazing as the casting with some of the biggest culture contributors, creators and Black owned media outlets and personalities including the following:

 

Netflix, Twitter, Netflix’s Strong Black Lead, Jay-Z, Jeymes Samuel, Vice President for Genius; Rob Markman. Regina King, Kazeem, Scottie EFFIN Beam, Jack Dorsey (Founder of Twitter), N.O.R.E. and our girl Gia Peppers.

Oscars so white creator; April Reign was there and Cori Murray from Essence magazine.

Essence Magazine, Roc nation, Ebony Magazine, Vibe Magazine, BET, ROC Nation, and then it was us, the new kids on the block.

It was something you had to be there to understand.

 

Fictionally non-fiction

The movie accurately introduces the world to a time of salon’s, outlaws and duels better known as westerns. Unlike the western’s we grew up admiring, this one is predominately an all-Black casted wild west with a Black director.

 

The Harder they fall depicts the real life characters of the likes of Bass Reeves, the real lone ranger played by Delroy Lindo, to Rufus Buck, Stagecoach Mary, and Nat Love. Though the plot of the movie is not based on all true events the characters are real non-fictional characters.

 

Paper bag test controversy

Cori Murray from Essence magazine asked Jeymes, who is making his directorial debut about the semi-controversy around the casting choice of one Stagecoach Mary, played by Zazie Beets; who is widely known for her roles in Atlanta on FX, Todd Phillips Joker movie and Deadpool 2.

The issue people are having with The harder they fall is that Zazie Beets is of lighter skin tone and slimmer build then the real stagecoach Mary.

Many saying this is a case of colorism showing its face again.

But the way Jeymes explains it is, he did cast for likeness. He uses Idris Elba as an example, who plays a character in Rufus Buck whose real life counterpart was 18. “Idris is a lot of things, 18 is not one of them”, Jeymes says,

“You know what it was? I wasn’t necessarily going on physical appearance.”The real Cherokee Bill could pass for white. He had Black in him and Native American. The real Nat Love didn’t know the real Jim Beckworth. So I wasn’t looking for physical likenesses….It was more just looking for those people that carry the essence of this particular story that I was telling.”

 

People outside who couldn’t get it

While Netflix’s Strong Black lead and Jay-Z had the culture was being represented to the fullest inside this event there were White people, White peopling outside of the event. There were a number of 1 star reviews for The Harder they fall which sits at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, that once again confirms the disgruntle disposition of White people.

These White people are so afraid of losing their power that was found on lying, stealing and gas lighting the world into believing they are and always have been the end all be all.

One review said, “Western with entire black cast lol. Is this a comedy?

I know I won’t be watching this. This movie is non relevant…” With the title line “Can’t get any more Woke than this.”

Another reads, with the title WTH a “black western”? “Unrealistic, completely non-historical, no one wore those hats then. Directing, acting (most of it), and silly script made this a fail. I didn’t mind the rap music…”

I mean it only gets worse from here. More reviews with titles like ENOUGH Already! “enough with the “woke” Hollywood lousy writing just to make some lame point. Then there’s my favorite one that says, “Revisionist history!! The characters are based on real life people from the old west days who are white! As the title of this review says, it is purely revisionist history at its finest! This political climate we live in wants total control over everything.”

If that is not the whiteboard calling the white wall, white.

But these hood wearers could not stop the party. It was all the way live for hours!!

Fun Facts I learned at this special event on Twitter spaces.

1.The Harder they fall has a great little tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman.

2. Jonathan Majors was basically an unknown when he was casted as Nat Love in The Harder they fall. The director claims “The Last Black man in San Francisco“ was not even out yet.

“I had only seen an interview with them and knew he was the right person for the role. “

3. Jay-Z convinced Jeymes who has solely envisioned The Harder they fall  being on the big screen, that it being on Netflix was the right way to go. Hov makes it a point to acknowledge how great of a partner Netflix was especially considering that it was the start of the pandemic.

4.Culture connoisseur Scottie Beam and photographer Phenom Ravie B were both called up to speak by Jay himself. It was really cool to observe how connected he is. Impressive for a man worth a cool billy.

 

The Harder they fall  is available on Netflix now and in some theaters. Go check it out.