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Blood Diamond
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Run Time: 143 min.
Release Date:
December 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Not being a very big
Leonardo DiCaprio fan in the past, this year I’ve had a growing amount
of respect for this young man as he proves his acting chops again and
again. First it was within the excellent Scorsese film
THE DEPARTED,
and now he does another great job in BLOOD DIAMOND.
For some reason, this film stands out above The Departed for me. Where
The Departed had an ensemble cast, Blood Diamond can make no such claim
(although there is a sprinkling of well-knowns). Many African actors
lend their previously hidden talents to the film, giving it a bit more
authenticity than The Departed. Most notably among them is the buffed Djimon Hounsou (AMISTAD), a quiet man living in a quiet village that is
torn apart by rebel fighters trying for a piece of the region’s diamond
trade. Djimon plays the smart and tough Solomon as he races to find his
family and his son. After being imprisoned via slave labor by the
rebels, Solomon finds a huge, rare, pink diamond and quickly buries it.
Having been seen with the diamond, the rebel leader tries to hunt him
down.
In the meantime, Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio,
THE DEPARTED), a young
opportunist from South Africa, is completely immersed in the illegal
diamond trade. He runs into Maddy (Jennifer Connelly,
DARK WATER), an
attractive journalist from The States who infuses Danny with a sense of
morality. Uncomfortable around Maddy, yet still attracted to her
physically and emotionally, Danny sets out to find if the rumor he’s
been hearing about the large, pink diamond are true. He meets up with
Solomon and the two form a tenuous bond; Danny wants the diamond so that
he can escape Africa and thus his past, while Solomon sees it as a way
to possibly save his missing son who’s been captured and brainwashed by
the rebels.
As Maddy’s views of right and wrong spin Danny on his head, and
Solomon’s race to find his son sparks memories of his father, Danny’s
not only in for a physical battle, but one that’ll force him to deal
with his own immoral and prejudicial history.
Part nonfiction, part fiction, Blood Diamond forces the viewer to
realize that the rocks they wear on their fingers may have come at a
very bloody cost. The movie spares nothing to get its message across;
there are children being dismembered, children carrying guns and
spraying bullets onto innocent villagers, torture, explosive
governmental flaws, and it’s all surrounded by one terrible little
stone: the diamond.
A very compelling film with DiCaprio dominating the screen (and
rightfully so). His South African accent was spot-on and his internal
battles of right and wrong are pulled off effortlessly.
This one’s a must.
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Image from Blood Diamond
DVD cost: $21.71
Purchase:
Tower.com (Blu-Ray)
Film Review Stew
Favorite?
Yes.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
When Danny Archer arrives
in South Africa there are two women standing in front of the airport and
he walks by them. These women are Leonardo DiCaprio's mother and
grandmother.
Movie Quote: "In
America it's 'bling-bling' but out here it's 'bling-bang.'"
Other Actors/Actresses
from Blood Diamond
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