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The Harder They Fall, which began streaming on Netflix today, is a new kind of western in some ways, and a traditional western in others.
Starring Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, and more, it’s one of the few movies in its genre to feature an all-Black cast. Directed by musician and filmmaker Jeymes Samuel and executive produced by rapper Jay-Z, it also features a modern soundtrack that you’re more likely to hear at the club than the saloon.
But when it comes to The Harder They Fall filming locations and set, director Samuel went old-school. Every moment of this movie looks and feels like the Old West, from the dusty deserts to the golden mountains to the creaky wood rail fences.
So where exactly did Samuel and his crew go to find that perfect Old West feel? Read on to learn about where The Harder They Fall was filmed.
WHERE WAS THE HARDER THEY FALL FILMED? THE HARDER THEY FALL FILMING LOCATION:
Like many American westerns, The Harder They Fall was filmed in and around the plains of New Mexico, including Sante Fe County. According to the film’s credits, one specific location was the Cerro Pelon Ranch in Galisteo, NM, where about 30 or so other Hollywood movies have been shot, including Silverado, Lonesome Dove, Wild Wild West, 3:10 to Yuma, and Thor.
That said, the production still had to create the three fictional towns featured in the film: the two all-black cities, Redwood and Douglastown, and the all-white town, Maysville.
In an interview for The Harder They Fall press notes, production designer Martin Whist said, “Each town is essentially a character. Redwood City illustrates prosperity. Douglastown is the ‘hood. And Maysville is privileged, and almost an imaginary world.”
For Maysville specifically, Samuel went for style. According to cinematographer Mihai Malaimare, “I remember I couldn’t stop laughing when Jeymes asked for white pebbles and only white horses. It made for such an amazing scene.”
There you have it. The next time you’re in New Mexico, you can look around and remember all of those iconic scenes from The Harder They Fall.
