Editorial Review:Description:An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.
Amazon.com:Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (
The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou,
In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly,
Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by
Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result.
--Bret Fetzer
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Engrossing Movie
I absolutely love this movie and it battles a topic that is not talked about much, and that is the diamond trade in Africa where people get killed and maimed over these diamonds (hence the term blood diamond). This movie is fairly accurate in its portrayl of Africa and it will bring you to tears. It's an emotionally moving film that everyone must see. It is a nice added addition to any DVD collection.
Rating: 
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Not very entertaining though enlightening...
This movie was very well put together for what it is. It is almost a docudrama about present day Africa, exploitation of Africans by each other as much as anyone, and the diamond trade.
I have two problems with the movie. First, it was not entertaining to me. It was a too violent depiction of real life and, overall, it did not reflect much hope. Second, I found Leonardo's character's eventual compassion too little and too late to believe.
This movie was highly recommended to me by several people. I guess it just is not my cup of tea.
Rating: -
Blood Diamond
I really love this movie. I'm South AFrican and I think Leonarda Di Caprio does a stellar job in his role and I enjoyed the whole story.
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Very nice.. Leo is amazing...
Very nice movie. Leo gave his best... overall good direction/story. Worth stocking up for personal collection.
Rating: 
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A Flood Of Blood For A Piece Of Diamond
'Blood Diamond' is a very Hollywood film but at the same time it stays very true to the facts. Zwick does not overload the viewer with its 'Hollywoodness'. There are bombs exploding and lots of shooting and killing but it's not overdone like in other flicks. The enigmatic African landscape is stunningly captured (even though it wasn't specifically filmed in Sierra Leone) and the score is both mesmerizing and haunting. The cinematography is superb as it gives the film a slick feel and also gives the landscape a role of its own.
Though the story is somewhat predictable it does not effect the film in a negative way. Zwick refrains from using clichés like putting a sex scene (which would have only deviated from the main plot line) or a conventional happy ending. The slick execution makes 'Blood Diamond' entertaining, gripping and moving. It moves at a steady pace. Rosenblum's editing is good and Leavitt's screenplay is solid and engaging. The characters are well written and the insanity of the blood thirsty rebels is well depicted in a few scenes and the sequence where they brainwash the children turning them into immediate murderers, is chilling. While many seem to disagree, I thought the problem of conflict diamond is effectively presented in this movie.
I never thought Leonardo Dicaprio would ever reach the heights he did with his acting in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' (which I considered his best work). He's been good in many films (like 'Catch Me If You Can') and bad in some (like 'Titanic', 'The Man In The Iron Mask' but I can say that his performance in both 'Gilbert Grape' and 'Blood Diamond' are his career best (though I have yet to see 'The Aviator'). In my opinion, they surpass the overrated 'The Departed'. I've always liked Djimon Hounsou's acting (especially in films like 'Amistad' and 'In America') and here he does not disappoint one bit. The actor skillfully underplays his part and is only explosive when required. The scenes between him and Dicaprio are a treat to watch. Then there's the radiant Jennifer Connelly, another actor who's performances never let down. She has a comparatively smaller role but makes the best of it. All three actors form an interesting and entertaining trio. The supporting cast do well.
While the 'Hollywoodness' gives it an entertaining quality, I think it takes away some of the rawness and that slightly hinders the film from being more hard-hitting (like 'Hotel Rwanda'). But it is pretty much an either - or situation and I still think the issues are presented well enough to balance the effectiveness of the real problem and entertainment.
Overall, Zwick's 'Blood Diamond' is an excellent gripping drama thriller that showcases the talents of actors Hounsou and Dicaprio, writer Leavitt, music director Newton Howard and director of photography Serra.
