Blood Diamond (2006)

An undeniably powerful and breathtaking film from talented director Edward Zwick. 'Blood Diamond' is a beautifully shot war thriller set against the backdrop of the Sierra Leone civil war, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou in their Oscar-nominated roles. By far one of the best war dramas of modern times, 'Blood Diamond' is a powerful testament in the film industry boasting intense and well-executed action scenes and heart-wrenching drama. Zwick's vision truly outpaces his narrative in this compulsive and thought-provoking tale. An exciting and compelling tale, that stand as a great acting showcase for the two leads.

Fmovies: What does it take to turn someone into a killer? The answer is different for each character involved in this movie. For some it is survival. For others it is the hope of escape from a life of hell. For some it is family. For others it is greed. Caught in the middle of it all are the children who have such little desire to kill for any reason that they must be brainwashed into becoming the instruments of their masters who claim to offer freedom.

Every few years an action movie comes along that has amazing depth. Terminator 2 and The Matrix are such movies, and so is Blood Diamond. It is full of characterizations we've seen before, but it's the interaction that raises this film above the masses. Each character has an agenda that forces him or her to distrust everyone else. The paths that some relationships take to develop trust are believable, while others are equally believable in remaining eternally antagonistic. And through it all is the realization that while some characters may change their methodology and morals, none ever change their dreams. Each character fights for the goal to the bitter end. Such is human nature, and such is the conflict of Blood Diamond, the conflict of Africa. In the end, we are left to wonder if peace can ever be attained in such a world. And somehow we are left believing that maybe it can.

I saw this on December 2nd in La Canada, CA @ a Sneak Preview...a week before it opened nationwide. How do I express my utter satisfaction & amazement with this film.

Take Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance over the last 15 years and multiply it by 10. He is mind-blowing. Awarding him an Oscar for Blood Diamond would not be a big enough compliment for the way he aced the role of Danny Archer.

The fabulous & flawless Charles Leavitt script is only enhanced by Ed Zwick's masterful directing job. Djimon Hounsou is perfectly cast and is more-than-believable when he wields a shovel.

And, Jennifer Connelly's understated elegance & expressiveness is captivating.

Put this movie at the top of your list.

Blood Diamond fmovies. First I want to say I went into this movie with hopes of it being great but had heard numerous slams against the acting, mostly Leo's accent. Wow were they DEAD WRONG! The movie delivers everything it should have and more. I like going into a movie and being entertained and learning something at the same time, especially at the ridiculous costs of tickets now days. I must say the movie was graphic at times but I think it needed to be in order to get the point across so if you have trouble watching terrible things happen to people including children then I wouldn't recommend this movie. Overall I hope this movie gets some nods when it comes around to Oscar time, Leo deserves a nod for sure whether it be from this movie or from The Departed. So if you don't have a problem with violence and want to learn something and be entertained at the same time then this is the movie you want to see! Kudos to Ed Zwick and everyone involved in making this wonderful film, it was a real treat to watch.

I rate this a ten because I had the privilege of going to Sierra Leone after the war and participate in one of the war crimes trials there at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, created by the Sierra Leone government with the United Nations.

In a bit more than two and a half hours, the writers and directors have to tell the story of the civil war, keep it concise yet true, and tell it through the eyes of a few participants. Because the story line is so true, and the acting, writing, directing, locations, people, and photography are all superior, I must admit prejudice toward such a high rating. My local reviewer gave it a B+.

My exposure to the civil war and only some of the events of this movie were based on reading books, hundreds of witness statements, online material about the war, including the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Report, and listening to over 100 witnesses testify, and my trial was not even those of the RUF and AFRC, the really bad actors of the war, as the movie shows, pulling no punches. The accounts of atrocities are shockingly real. Tens of thousands had hands amputated, people were indiscriminately murdered, women raped or forced to marry, villages were burned, and children were kidnapped and forced to fight the war for both of the rebel factions (RUF and AFRC). Making a child a soldier is a war crime, and this movie artfully shows you why, without saying a word about it.

Sherman said, about our own Civil War, that "War is hell." But, African civil war is far different and atrocious because it inevitably leads to atrocities.

This fine work, with Hotel Rwanda, stands out as a film seriously attempting to explain the atrocities that Africans somehow can do to themselves.

A few years back I had the pleasure of visiting Antwerp, Belgium, a place many deem "the diamond capital of the world." Never before or since have I been in a location where I was surrounded by so much "bling". Storefronts had so many diamonds on display you would think they should be better kept in some European version of Fort Knox.

The film Blood Diamond puts an entirely new spin on Antwerp, the diamond industry and that pricey stone you might be wearing around your neck, on your ring finger, or in your ears (mine are cubic-Zs). Set in the West African country of Sierra Leone during the 1990s, this historical-adventure-drama covers a time when the country was in turmoil. Warlords, smugglers and the diamond syndicate all play roles in a refugee exodus, and the killing and enslaving of men to work the diamond fields. The title refers to diamonds which are harvested, smuggled and traded to finance the purchase of weapons used in Civil War.

Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) stars as a fisherman who has his family torn apart and instead of being killed, is sent to work mining diamonds where he finds and hides a large stone. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) a former mercenary, diamond-smuggler, middleman, you-name-it, is looking to score with that stone and exit the business for good. Writer Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) is tired of writing shallow stories about less than newsworthy events; she is looking for information about major players in the diamond trade. They all come together in a fast paced, adventure packed piece of film-making that is brutal at times but never boring. The film has a pleasant, unanticipated ending, something hard to pull off in a film of this kind.

Director/Producer Edward Zwick is probably the best in Hollywood at taking a big budget feature film with a historical theme and carefully relay a message without lecturing his audience. His earlier works include a story of the first all-black U.S. Civil War company in "Glory" a film, which resulted in Denzel Washington winning his first Oscar. Zwick takes credit for works like The Last Samurai, Shakespeare in Love, Traffic and Courage Under Fire. He is second to no one when it comes to balancing a historical event with action-drama entertainment. Edward Zwick is one of few L.A. directors who still works within the Hollywood establishment yet is able to put out good quality film.

Check out Blood Diamond, your "bling" may never look the same again.