Blood Diamond Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
It Will Cost You Everything
Truth
Freedom
Fortune
From the director of "Glory" and "The Last Samurai"
Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) - an ex Mercenary from Zimbabwe - and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) - a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon - who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields - has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a trek through rebel territory, a journey that could save Solomon's family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.
| Leonardo DiCaprio | Danny Archer |
| Djimon Hounsou | Solomon Vandy |
| Jennifer Connelly | Maddy Bowen |
| Kagiso Kuypers | Dia Vandy |
| Arnold Vosloo | Colonel Coetzee |
| Antony Coleman | Cordell Brown |
| Benu Mabhena | Jassie Vandy |
| Anointing Lukola | N'Yanda Vandy |
| David Harewood | Captain Poison |
| Basil Wallace | Benjamin Kapanay |
| Jimi Mistry | Nabil |
| Michael Sheen | Simmons |
| Marius Weyers | Van De Kaap |
| Stephen Collins | Ambassador Walker |
| Ntare Mwine | M'Ed |
| Edward Zwick |
7.80 out of 10 (32874 votes)
Visitor Reviews
An action, political adventure at its best!
posted on 26 Aug 2009"Blood Diamond" is the kind of action film that makes you think that 'a moment of love, even in a bad man, can give meaning to a life...' The film opens in Sierra Leone, 1999 when Civil war rages for control of the diamond fields…According to devastating reports, these stones are being used with both rebels and government forces to purchase more weapons and finance civil war… Danny Archer—crazy for diamonds like everybody else—believes this pink gem holds his ticket out of this godforsaken continent… He is a smuggler, a former mercenary and weapons trader from Zimbabwe who bribes all, and supplies arms to both sides… He gets Solomon Vandy—captured by government troops—out of jail only because he overhears that the fisherman might have found a clear massive stone about the size of a bird's egg… Vandy—forced apart from his family and sent off to work as a slave in the minefields—has hided the enormous 100 carat diamond from his captors and buried it in a secret place within the jungle… His son Dia is taking away by a brainwashing militia called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) turning him with lies, drugs, and liquor, into a cold-blooded murderer…Danny makes a deal to help the noble fisherman find his family if Vandy will lead him to the diamond… The majority of the story is their journey across the war torn country… Leonard DiCaprio is both ruthless and charming as the cynical soldier of fortune who knows an opportunity when it presents itself… But he also is aggressive and selfish willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants… He illustrates the black side of the dirty diamond trade… On his trek to find the stone, Archer's eyes are opened to some enduring values that surpass his own self-profit… Djimon Hounsou eventually realizes that Danny's connections and money are his only hope… He plays a helpless character totally passionate as the resolving and fiercely determined father desperate to learn the fate of his family…Connelly is an idealist who wishes to display corruption… She thinks that with Archer's help she can get a unique story line surrounding the civil war but also revealing corporate malfeasance and cover-up behind the diamond trade… It is also good to mention Arnold Vosloo in the role of Colonel Coetzee, head of the army unit also trying to claim the diamond… He's a great character actor and remains a powerful presence and one of the screen's most efficient scene-stealer… Nominated for five Oscars, "Blood Diamond" is an action, political adventure at its best!
Just seen it........
posted on 24 Aug 2009OK 2 start with the film was like nothing i expected "Some guy goes to another guy's country to still they riches" NOTHING LIKE THAT AT ALL loved the film with it's high in action and drama just what you need for a griping film.Leo I personally he should get the Oscar for this over "The Departed" Actsent was spot on, how ever it drop on shouting parts.Jennifer Connelly Not suited for this part at all leave this part for a strong women actress should of maybe considered Rosario Dawson.Djimon Hounsou He was superb in this Portrayed the needy father very well, and Portrayed his love for his on screen son even when he was brain-washed into being a "Rabel".On a Whole, the film grasped the concept of changing Leo's character every so well.8/10 Very well done
Desdemona/Cervantes/Samuel the prophet
posted on 22 Aug 2009Leonardo DiCaprio, also known as Sam Swayze, is best known for his prowess and intrigue...sorry son...mom is extremely proud of her son, Jesus Christ. The Raboni has returned from Eviction day... auntie Donna Beth has identified herself as Sephora and the creator of love potion number 9.....she has been arrested in Bensalem, Pa.....today has been filled with many investigations...it is also time to announce the conclusion of the emerald series, Romanceing the stone...Cleopatra was collecting her emerald dresser so that when Wilhem DeFoe came home through time, he was one complete being...Maura's topaz is Robert Charles Sower's himself, while her emerald is Aaron David Copeland in his emerald green t-shirt and emerald sweats...Mom works like this in order to keep her children safe...her children understand how her mind works and have traveled the universe with each other...Leonardo is grand pop Sam Greenstein; (see the name on his boarding pass for the Titanic,in the movie bearing the same name) He is also one of my emeralds...
Eye Opener
posted on 22 Aug 2009I saw this movie on Saturday and what an eye opener. This movie really moved me to tears. I thought actors Dicaprio,Hounsou,and Connelly gave the most passionate performance's I've seen in a long time. These actors should all get an Oscar nod for this movie no doubt. The cinematography is beautiful and the message for the movie is loud and clear. Edward Zwick once again has made a fantastic movie. The main thing is this movie hopefully will open everyone's eyes to the violence and abuse that blood diamonds cause. You can make a difference as a consumer in being knowledgeable in what you are buying. I don't mean to preach but I tell ya this movie really moved me and has made me look at things differently. Thanks for taking the time to read about my movie review.
Surelly the best acting performance of Di Caprio so far.
posted on 22 Aug 2009Well, I went to the cinema, hoping for a reasonably good movie. Lets face it Di Caprio, in the past, never really was more than a pretty boy face and a lousy actor.But in the later years his acting has been steadily increasing in quality. He seems to have really grown up, as an actor. I mean, with The Aviator he proved once and for all, that not only can he act, but he has become a darned good actor.In Blood Diamonds, he does one of the best performances by any actor in recent years. The way he managed to balance total cynicism with just the amount of humanity for the viewers not to despise his character, was awe inspiring. In my opinion he should have gotten an Oscar for this film. Not to diminish Hansou's performance, but Di Caprio really shone. And as Hansou got a really well deserved Oscar, I feel that Di Caprio did just as good a performance, maybe better.Jennifer also did a splendid job. Here is maybe the only weak point on the script. I felt she was maybe a bit underused. Had she been given a chance in the script, i got the distinct feeling that she would have done just as well as her male co actors. But what she did, was a piece of flawless acting.All in all, I will give this movie a strong eight. I will stop at that, because it lacked the bit of emotional weight that would have given it a ten. Nevertheless, i think this is going to be one of the better movies in 2007.Run to the Theatre and watch it! You will not be disappointed. Thats all folks
Worth your money - but don't compare it to 'The Constant Gardener'
posted on 22 Aug 2009Because they are very different stories, and very different styles. The Constant Gardener was an artistic, touching personal story about love and loss. Yes it did cover the same general themes of African's being used and abused by big companies and western interests. But at the center of that story was the very personal story of loss. This was a thriller, it was more visually violent, and instead of a diplomat, it had a mercenary at it's center. The Constant Gardener was an unusual story, both in plot, and also in the way it was told, with it's fractured time and the subliminal fear of big invisible evils. In 'Blood Diamond' there is more overt violence, and also may I say a far more challenging role for the lead actor. And DiCaprio does a fine job, his accent did go a couple of times - but have any of you tried to mimic a South African accent? Not an easy thing to do because the sound has been distilled from different languages, and the accent itself changes in different areas of the country, and if you listened DiCaprio left Zimbabwe as a child so his accent was SA, and it was good in my opinion. This movie also attempts to bring in more difficult stories, like child soldiers, the exploitation of Africans by Africans - to the benefit of the west and also the rehabilitation of people who have seen and done terrible things. The movie should perhaps instead be compared with the South African movie 'Tsotsi', which was also a story of greed, money, retribution and the possibility of redemption. The main characters in both also lost their parents and knew violence from an early age.Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this film is that those who see it will leave knowing more about the lives of average people in these conflicts, and hopefully like Hotel Rwanda it will raise awareness of a tragic conflict that has not only wasn't talked about enough at the time, but has also been forgotten in the west.
A simple story about another face of humanity
posted on 22 Aug 2009since i live in a country where there are no such conflicts and problems it is hard for me to talk about this subject . the only reason for I'm writing this comment is because i have access to information, to education and not at last i am somewhat free . people from Africa, they are not at all free and conflicts in sudan, somalia and many other countries still do a lot of deaths . conflicts are the root for diseases, starvation and the lack of progress on a continent so rich not with diamonds or oil, but with people . the lack of peace hold them in the state presented in blood diamonds . of course it is a little to off course from a politically correct message but i believe that conscious ones should take acknowledge from it . besides good acting performances the movie simply reminded me that men are capable of horrible things in their search for a better life and it is our fault too, the ones who live in peace, for not doing anything in help
A great character film with two excellent performances.
posted on 20 Aug 2009Since there is very little in the negative column, let me disperse with it first: 'Blood Diamond' might fairly be accused of 'bleeding heart syndrome' (more on that in a bit), has a few minor pacing issues and seems unsure with how to end. The ending that they chose extends the film too far, seems forced and is tacked on. The more natural ending is on the mountainside -- you'll know what I mean when you see it. Those things said, the positives are much greater and this film showcased two towering performances. Djimon Hounsou is nothing short of incredible and I'd be astonished if he isn't considered at Oscar time. Secondly, although I've had little patience for him before, Leonardo DiCaprio has really impressed me this year. With his performances in 'The Departed' and now 'Blood Diamond,' I think I need to reappraise my own biases against him. I'm becoming a fan.Some of the early reviews that I read painted 'Blood Diamond' as hysterical left-winger cause-head paradise. They suggest that the conflict diamond situation has been exaggerated and completely distorted. I don't know if that is the case. The film makes a compelling case but I don't base my political and economic decisions on films that I watch. My interest here was to see how characters would respond to adversity and a terrible, horrifyingly dark situation. The political agenda of the film isn't as cloyingly bombastic as I was afraid it might be. This is a film that, while concerned with the political situation in Africa, focuses more on how the obsessive search for a large, rare pink diamond consumes those who get too close to it.DiCaprio is excellent as a Rhodesian (HIS description) mercenary and arms dealer working in Sierra Leone. Hounsou is a fisherman who gets drawn into the civil war raging around him and discovers a pink diamond that could save -- or destroy -- both he and his family. Jennifer Connelly plays a journalist trying to discover if a huge multi-national diamond company is knowingly in the market for conflict diamonds. Jennifer Connelly seems to get the worst of the dialogue. When told that Americans are in part to blame for conflict diamonds she responds with a line about 'not all girls want a fantasy wedding.' It makes her look naive at best and silly at worst. She generally manages to save the character from either of those fates though and also manages to avoid self-righteousness when dealing with some of the films more morally flexible characters. Hounsou is great and the desperation in his character as he tries to find his family crackles on the screen. He is cagey and understands what he needs to do to survive. His character is not above playing servile if that will keep him alive. And when provoked to violence, the result was absolutely chilling. In much smaller roles are Arnold Vosloo as a mercenary Colonel, Stephen Collins as a diplomat and Michael Sheen as an executive at a diamond company. Excellent performances all around.Is 'Blood Diamond' judgemental? I think that is the wrong question. The film is a character study both of all the men pursuing the pink diamond and what effect it has on them, but it is also a character study of Africa. Tragic and heartsick, 'Blood Diamond' is drenched with cynicism and defeatism. Why is there misery and exploitation? "TIA," explains DiCaprio to Connelly, "This Is Africa." In contrast to a film like 'Traffic,' 'Blood Diamond' doesn't wallow in hopelessness. Some of the characters might be cynical but the film itself does search for hope. The heart of the picture is the human cost. Characters see the wealth of the diamond and are destroyed by it. The film shares a great deal thematically with a film like 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre.' High praise for a high quality film.
One Of The Most Impacting Films In Years
posted on 16 Aug 2009I wanted to see this film because it seemed interesting. I went in looking for entertainment. After I started watching it though I was to put it lightly impressed. The story while simple and based on actual happenings is amazing. Not only does it have depth to it, it grabs your attention and actually brings you into the lives of these characters.The acting is some of the best I've seen in a long time. I've never really been a DiCaprio fan until lately and this is one of the reasons why. I'm happy to see him mature as an actor and sort of shed his pretty boy image. He truly came across as a great actor here. Though his character uses people for gain you learn to like him. As good as DiCaprio was,Djimon Hounsou stole the entire show. He delivered one of the most moving performances I've seen. The pain and emotion his character shows strikes you and leaves a lasting impression.Finally while the film does contain some harsh scenes of violence I feel they were needed to tell the story. There is not just violence for shock value, trying to tone down the realities of these African cultures would be doing them a disrespect. You get to realize their struggle and find how small and pointless the problems of America are.You will not only leave having been entertained with a well developed story but you will also find an appreciation for a beautiful location or more importantly an understanding and harsh realization of the lives these characters are based on.
A civil war of blood.
posted on 14 Aug 2009"Blood Diamond" overall is a movie with a meaning of more than diamond trading or smuggling, but it shows a powerful message of how greed and corruption can cause a nation into a bloody civil war. The performance given in the movie are pretty good from Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou and the action and adventure move along to make this a pounding epic. The plot focuses on two different objectives also. DiCaprio is an ex-mercenary turned diamond smuggler who joins up with Hounsou a Mende fisherman during the civil war of 1999 Sierra Leone, both with objectives to recover a diamond, and to rescue the fisherman's son who has became a child solider in a brutal rebel war. Overall this is an OK film not the best though you really have to be into international history to enjoy it well.
One of the better movies I've seen.
posted on 12 Aug 2009This is definitely one of the must-see movies of not only 2006, but of all time.If you liked Hotel Rwanda, you will love this movie. I thought Hotel Rwanda was a 10/10, and an incredible movie that displayed the cold truth, but I must say, where Hotel Rwanda failed, Blood Diamond succeeded. Blood Diamond displays how dire the situation is in these areas, at the same time as it is a great movie. I didn't experience a single boring moment. It had the perfect amount of action and tragedy, at the same time as it showed that no matter how cruel the world is, life goes on, and good deeds are made.I think the world needs more of these types of movies. It has an important political message, while at the same time being a wonderful movie. That way political awareness is spread in a so called "user friendly" media.Watch Blood Diamond, and I promise you, you won't want your time or money back. It's one of the best movies, ever, no doubt.
A flawed, yet brilliant, diamond
posted on 10 Aug 2009This is a movie I believe you should see. Just don't expect perfection because it isn't there.First, let's discuss DiCaprio and whether the Academy was right in nominating him for this performance rather than for THE DEPARTED. I have to go with this one, and that isn't at all diminishing his other great performance. There simply were more scenes which he commanded here, and IMHO some scenes definitely eclipsed those in the other film. His character here seemed to me to be even more conflicted than his Billy Costigan character, and especially towards the end, you had to depend on minute nuances to tell what his character was actually doing.Then, there's Djimon Hounsou who again deserved his nomination. He exuded braveness, family concern, varying emotions in regards to DiCaprio's character.However, the above and the power of the message of the film just about sums up my feeling you should see it.Pacing between violent and non-violent scenes failed and some scenes, powerful as they were, drug out for too long. The scenes after the mountainside scene were too long and possibly even unnecessary although they gave the viewer some satisfaction and a conclusion to all elements with which we were concerned.This is still a movie to see.
An Epic Film, the Revolutionizes the world.
posted on 08 Aug 2009You know those movies; the really good ones, the ones that come around every few years that revolutionize the world? The movies that are irreplaceable, indescribable, the ones that makes us think after we see it. Well this was 10 times that. This movie depicts the harsh life that millions face outside this portion of the world that we have protected and perfected for so long. And in those long years, Africa crumbles from the needs of society. Whether it be diamonds, or gold, or silver. The needs that we seek to better our own world; not knowing what has been given up for what we seek. I could not begin to express my gratitude to the writers and director for making this spectacular movie, for it illustrated what our world has come to. The acting was astonishing, mind blowing, and most of all breathtaking. Casting could not have been better; DiCaprio truly does show off his endless talent in this movie. This is the best movie to see with the ending of this year, for it gives us hope for the future. So I write this review for this magnificent movie with hope. Hope for the future of man kind.
Brilliant as a diamond but way too violent for the faint of heart
posted on 08 Aug 2009Danny (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a man who likes to live on the edge. A native of Zimbabwe, he plays both sides, delivering arms to rebel groups in war torn Sierra Leone in exchange for money, yet maintaining a relationship with the civil authorities. A journalist (Jennifer Connelly) is new to the area yet manages to nail him to the wall for his ambiguity and selfishness. However, she wants a story about the diamonds-for-guns policy that is out of control and she senses he can give her what she needs. In the meantime, a native father is anguished over his capture and subsequent slavery by the unscrupulous diamond warlords and the loss of his wife, son, and daughter to unknown circumstances. How will the lives of these three players intersect? This is a topnotch film but, it is definitely not for the faint of heart. No, even I did not make it to the end of the film, for the violence is prevalent and devastatingly real, as the movie is based on actual events. On the other hand, the acting is amazing and the African setting exotic and lovely, when the fighting pauses from time to time. Therefore, if you are drawn to films of armed conflict or films that tell the heartbreaking truth, even if it means sitting through scenes of violent inhumanity, this is a movie to consider. It has a very important story to tell and tells it well. Just make certain you can handle its virulent content and, as an added note, do prohibit anyone under 18 from being part of a showing. It has an abundance of haunting images that are hard to shake off with ease.
flawed but compelling social drama
posted on 08 Aug 2009"Blood Diamond" may well result in the biggest boon yet for the cubic zirconium business. This latest work by Edward Zwick tackles a serious social issue in the guise of popular entertainment, which turns out to be both the greatest weakness and the greatest strength of the film."Blood" diamonds, also known as "conflict" diamonds, are those that are mined in war zones, then sold to finance those wars. Set in 1999, the movie features Leonardo DiCaprio as a largely amoral diamond smuggler who is plying his trade in war-torn Sierra Leone on the west coast of the African continent. Through a series of complicated events, Danny Archer meets up with a native named Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) who knows the whereabouts of a rare, priceless diamond that Archer, along with virtually everybody else in the film, would love to get his hands on. Solomon, however, needs its as a bargaining chip to ransom his wife and children who have been turned into refugees as a result of the internecine war occurring between the government and rebel forces out to enslave people like Solomon in the local mines. Jennifer Connelly plays a compassionate American reporter determined to expose the evil and corruption involved in the blood diamond business to a largely apathetic and hitherto unresponsive world at large.With a screenplay by Charles Leavitt, based on a story by him and C. Gaby Mitchell, Zwick has fashioned a generally powerful film whose occasional dramatic contrivances can be easily forgiven in light of the salutary goal of the film. One could object to the fact that, yet again, a story set in the Third World seemingly needs to be told through the eyes of white people from the West. The movie tries to overcome this handicap by making it clear that Archer is actually from Zimbabwe - and DiCaprio has the South African accent to prove it - but the air of First World condescension is faintly evident nonetheless. Still, given the sad fact that such an approach was probably necessary even to get the film green-lighted let alone funded, one cannot really hold that against the filmmakers. The movie also indulges in a few too many action movie clichés - hairbreadth escapes, in-the-nick-of-time rescues, the near-miraculous dodging of bullets etc. - but, again, the movie makers clearly know they must first get the attention of their target audience before they can enlighten them about the situation at hand. Moreover, the film is a bit too long at 138 minutes and suffers from attenuation and repetition in its final half hour.Those negatives aside, "Blood Diamond" is, for the most part, an effective piece of serious commercial movie-making, thanks, primarily, to Zwick's skill as a director and to the fine performances by DiCaprio, Connelly and, especially, Hounsou, whose quiet dignity and fierce determination do much to personalize the plight of the innocents caught in a hellhole of wanton slaughter and crass de-humanization. Perhaps the greatest strength of the movie is that it doesn't stint in showing us the brutality and widespread individual suffering brought about by this mad rush towards profit and greed. In addition, Archer's slow awakening to the depths of the human tragedy occurring around him and his own shameful participation in it may be predictable from a narrative standpoint, but it gives the film the moral weight and thematic depth it needs to elevate it above the level of a mere exploitative action picture.
Little slow but good action.
posted on 06 Aug 2009This is a good suspenseful action thriller.Acting was believable on all parts. Story was interesting and violence ranks up there with any good war movie. The movie seemed a little long and I wished the hiking seens were edited more but overall an above average film.Before the movie I didn't care where diamonds came from, during the movie I cared where they came from, after the movie I didn't care anymore.But I will say this movie does nothing to promote African tourism. Ill stay in America and buy an iced out grill(conflict-free of course).Thanks but thats the end of my review and And I have to have ten lines so I am filling with this.
Action/political-social thriller about opportunistic bounty hunter trading in illegal diamonds amidst African genocide & civil war
posted on 04 Aug 2009I liked this movie a lot. It was much better than I anticipated based on some very negative reviews -- one of the reasons I tend to ignore professional critics. Although the back-story is distressing, the action is exciting, the scenery is gorgeous and the photography is spectacular. Leonardo DeCaprio, although still eye candy, continues his ascendancy into truly adult roles which first emerged with "Catch Me if You Can." His acting is steadily improving, especially after Scorcese's tutelage in "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator" & "The Departed." For my money, this is DeCaprio's best job to date -- although his turn in "The Departed" runs a close 2nd. These are both showy parts and he handles them creditably. Blood Diamonds' plot is somewhat predictable and manipulative, but that really didn't matter to me -- the movie is entertaining yet provocative and the 2 lead male actors are very charismatic. They enjoy a great chemistry. Both "Oscar" nominations are well-deserved. Jennifer Connelly's presence is a contrivance but it works as well as can be expected & serves its purpose. I've talked to others who liked this movie and some who didn't -- both male & female. It's worth it to see it and decide for yourself -- unless, of course, you can't stand DeCaprio, because he's in almost every scene. Even so, Honshu is great, as always.
Not made to entertain
posted on 31 Jul 2009Users keep using the word "entertain" in discussing this film, and I don't understand it simply because this movie was not meant to "entertain." Unlike many movies these days, it is meant to inform. Another claim I've read: "If you can get past the violence, it is a great film." Well here's a thought: you're not supposed to "get past" the violence. It is presented in such a way that makes us grateful for every second of our stupid American lives. If you want to be entertained, see Casino Royale. If you want to change the way you think about your own life, then see Blood Diamond. It will make you feel grateful for the life you live, and make your heart start pumping for the right reason. Blood Diamond will make you want to get involved in any organization that supports peacekeeping for conflicts like Sierra Leone.
It puts your nose in the muck all the way
posted on 31 Jul 2009I just looked at Blood Diamond. This is really depressing. What is going on in this world? How could I go to a jeweler's store to buy a wedding ring for my fiancée, when I think of this movie? Okay, I can hear you say, it is just a movie. Right, it's not a documentary; what happened here didn't really happen. But we see it in the news everyday. Things like this happen. It may be diamonds, it may be oil, it may be gold and even it may be wood. We know it happens, and we unwillingly take part in it. And we get numb. I looked at news footage like this so much, it sometimes changed my perspective. One day, the news showed a clip of so called freedom fighters, ripping of the clothes of a young woman, throwing her down, in the street, naked. She fell on her knees, and there the clip halted. And my first thought was, she looks nice, immediately followed by the thought, she must have hurt herself. And only then, my god, she may not be alive in a couple of minutes. What kind of world is this, to make thoughts put in this order? This movie shows it all. Of course it's a movie, so it has to be entertaining too, but it puts your nose in the muck all the way. Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor, it shows. He had a hard time to find his niche, but he did. Djimon Hounsou, Kagiso Kuypers and Benu Mabhena play a very convincing family that gets ripped apart in this war. Jennifer Connelly as the journalist is less convincing but don't worry, it doesn't break the movie. All in all this is a very good movie, and worth an Oscar. Go see it before you buy her the diamond ring.
A Retrospective
posted on 28 Aug 2009Personal, political, and exploitation/commercial interests clash in this straightforward adventure film, Ed Zwick's aptly titled BLOOD DIAMOND. While this title might be misleading, making unsuspecting viewers believe this is closer to a Indiana Jones' type adventure complete with human sacrifices, the entire scope of the plot revolves around a rare blood diamond -- a stone of a pinkish color used to finance terrorist organizations, hence the 'blood' portion of its moniker -- that has immeasurable value. And sure enough, sacrifices of a very human sort abound left and right, most notably in Solomon Vandy's plight to retrieve his son who in a mêlée has been kidnapped by a militant group and used as a child soldier, and the only person he can trust is the very untrustworthy Rhodesian merchant Danny Archer who wants the stone as his ticket out of Africa and will help Solomon find his missing family... for a price.BLOOD DIAMOND can be summed up as an adventure movie that has a powerful, symbolic message at its core -- that of the trials and tribulations that the African people have had to endure in the name of profit and greed. Djimon Hounsou tackles a clichéd role with an immense believability -- it's very moving, even gripping, to see what he has to go through to get something as simple as his family -- and especially his now child soldier of a son -- back. When he cries out that he cannot live without his family, knowing he was supposed to have protected them and failed, you believe it, and you root for him and hope that Archer does not betray this absolute trust Solomon has placed in Archer's hands. You want to see the moment when he becomes reunited with his son and gets back at the man who took him away in the name of this cursed stone.Leonardo diCaprio has a tricky role to play, being frankly amoral in the Bogart tradition. He looks even more rugged than he did in THE DEPARTED which helps him bring forth credibility into his portrayal of Danny Archer. Jennifer Connelly, always an actress I love to see in the small roles she undertakes, makes a lot more out of a role that could have been very throwaway. She has a great scene where she uses her wiles and her ability as a photographer to get the two men out of a very risky situation, and a rather moving scene towards the end, but the film has little use for her, being focused on the terse relation between Archer and Solomon.BLOOD DIAMOND is terribly old-fashioned, alas. It's not a bad thing: sometimes a movie benefits by going back in time and exploring the values that were prevalent then. Because of an existing conflict involving these blood diamonds, the events of the late Nineties served as a platform for the story being told here. If it weren't for the crystal-clear cinematography, it wouldn't be odd to see Bogart, or Grant, for example, in the role of Danny Archer, and/or Ingrid Bergman or Deborah Kerr or even Barbara Stanwyck in the supporting role of Maddy Bowen which Connelly plays. But, not to digress, old-fashioned or not, this is a fine adventure with a strong humanity at its center.