Looking back at the future: 'Better Mus' Come' in theatres this Heroes Weekend

Hasani Walters, Gleaner Writer

An ugly story beautifully told blends violence, poverty, love and politics. The highly anticipated movie, Better Mus' Come, is a coming-of-age film set in Jamaica's turbulent 1970s, against the backdrop of the Cold War. The movie is a dramatic telling of the Green Bay Massacre, ghetto life and political deception of that time.

This is the first major film written and directed by Storm Saulter and produced by film director Paul Bucknor.

Better Mus' Come will definitely open doors to some social commentary about the 1970s and the 2010 political atmosphere in Jamaica.

The movie's leading male, Sheldon Shepherd, plays Ricky, a suspected political agitator who fights for a political party yet grapples with poverty each day.

Ricky struggles to provide for himself and his son in the late 1970s, a time when the nation suffered a crippling water and energy crisis, political and police corruption, and numerous murder scandals gave birth to the violence gripping the streets of Kingston both then and now.

Romance quickly buds between Ricky and Kemala, an educated country girl who lives in the opposing political community. She encourages him to convince his crew in the community to take a passive approach to the political gang turmoil and community violence. His crew doesn't agree and this leads to an inevitable war.

Better Mus' Come was first screened at the 2008 Flashpoint Film Festival. At that preview the movie was unfinished. However, what viewers saw was more than enough to acclaim this production among the top movies to come out of Jamaica.

Described by viewers as an accurate depiction of the times, Better Mus' Come took six weeks to shoot and captured scenes from the inner-city community of Sandy Park, Kingston Harbour and other parts of Kingston. The crew putting this together was entirely Jamaican.

Saulter delivers a healthy dose of drama, violence, romance, comedy and suspense. In an interview after the screening, he said: "I'm not aiming to show violence for the purpose of action entertainment, but to expose the cause and effect and how we are all affected in some way or another, no matter the class."

The movie also stars upcoming actors Nicole Grey and Ricardo Orgill, as well as seasoned actors Everaldo Creary and Roger Guenveur Smith.

On Wednesday, October 13, the must-see movie Better Mus' Come will premiere at the Carib Cinema in Cross Roads and will have its first box-office weekend on Heroes Weekend.