Blood Diamond Review

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"Blood Diamond" reviews

Movie

Blood Diamond

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-08-07 21:48:02

Rating

2.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Blood Diamond maintains a certain level of intensity that will certainly stir the soul and perhaps inspire activism. But unfortunately, it also tries a little too hard to convey its message about global conflict.

Story

Diamond is set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990s Sierra Leone, where we once again witness sheer, mindless brutality against innocent people. It doesn't much bother Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), though. As a South African mercenary, he has wheeled and dealed most of his life to survive. He simply labels the atrocities as "TIA," as in "This is Africa." His latest gig is smuggling conflict diamonds out of the war-torn area, but Archer's jaded point of view is changed slightly when he joins Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou)--a local fisherman whose family has been ripped away from him--on a quest for a rare pink diamond that could transform their lives. With the help of American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), who's there to try and make a difference, the two men trek through dangerous rebel territory--a journey that could save Solomon's family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.

Acting

Both DiCaprio and Hounsou are already being Oscar-touted for their performances--and deservedly so. DiCaprio once again plays an antihero--you know, the R-rated guy you aren't quite sure you trust--but he does so this time with a very colloquial South African accent. It's a bit jarring at first, as if the actor is trying to do a British accent but not very well. Then you realize how spot-on it actually is and marvel at the nuances DiCaprio incorporates into the performance. Matching him step for step is Oscar-nominee Hounsou (In America) as the tortured Solomon. Of course, it's through his eyes we see just how horrific the situation is, and Solomon's quiet determination to get his family back is etched over the actor's chiseled features. Connelly is no slouch either, looking tousled and gorgeous, despite the hell she goes through. But a noted standout is Kagiso Kuypers, who--in his debut performance--plays Solomon's young son, taken by the rebels and forced to become a killing machine. It just gives you shivers.

Direction

If you aren't quite sure what a conflict, or "blood," diamond is, they are stones that have been smuggled out of countries at war, which are then used as a way to pay for more arms, increasing the death toll and violence in the region. Back in the late '90s, at the height of the conflict diamond industry, only a small percentage of these gems got into the Western market, but it was still a very viable and profitable business. It has all been curtailed greatly since then--and Sierra Leone is currently at peace--but Blood Diamond is a way to remind us how precarious it still can be. Director Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai) hammers this home with vivid images of human cruelty and suffering. But unlike its counterpart Hotel Rwanda, which concentrated on one individual and how he dealt with the atrocities, there are actually too many angles to the Diamond story, too many messages. It diffuses the film's impact and drags it down, rather than strengthen it. Still, the diamond industry might see a decline in sales.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 2 1/2 stars.

Movie

Blood Diamond

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-01-19 16:00:50

Provider

Review

Blood Diamond is an action-packed thriller about a mercenary diamond smuggler whose future becomes entwined with that of a poor fisherman.

The movie is set in Sierra Leone amid the chaos of the brutal civil war in the 1990s, and was filmed both there and in South Africa. Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou, Oscar nominee for In America), has been kidnapped by rebels and forced to slave in the diamond fields. One day he finds an extraordinarily huge, flawless pink diamond that could provide his family an escape from a refugee camp.

Smooth diamond smuggler Danny Archer (two-time Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio - complete with authentic Sierra Leone accent) learns of the pink diamond and persuades Solomon to help him find the gem, while enlisting the help of idealistic American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), who is in Sierra Leone to uncover the truth behind the wicked industry of conflict diamonds.

The three put aside their selfish motives to embark on a dangerous trek though battlefields and jungle seeking the priceless diamond - and something far more precious, Solomon's son.

Directed and produced by Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends Of The Fall, The Last Samurai), Blood Diamond mixes heart-pounding action sequences with political intrigue and a heavy moral message. Connelly is slightly irritating as the holier-than-thou love interest, but DiCaprio brings an initially unsympathetic character to life with charm and gritty humour.

While tackling a vital issue - the death and destruction that accompanies the sparkling gems most Westerners unwittingly wear on their ring fingers - Zwick naively suggests that one determined individual can change the world. But lack of realism aside, Blood Diamond is a memorable film that's definitely worth a trip to the cinema.