I think Blood Diamond is a special movie.

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2007)

I watched the Blood Diamond movie last weekend. Ever since I saw the trailer of the movie, I was curious, how they could perform a film about blood diamond in African Sierra Leone.
Especially during the last years my basic criterion for evaluation of a movie is how much Hollywood style the movie is. In fact this one can also be categorised as a Hollywood movie. With the proudly mastered fighting scenes, where crazy rebels and high tech soldiers shooting bullets showers like a heavy rain, and moreover our heroes running around and surviving this inferno without even a scratch, the Blood Diamond movie is surely not poor with such action.
Another detail in the movie, which makes me annoyed was that the ordinary African people speaking in English in their own distinct accents. The only thought came to my mind at that moment was, "Oh the movie is again prepared especially for the English speaking audiences, but I want to watch and listen to them in their own language" Anyway, now I know, after reading in the Wikipedia, Sierra Leone was founded in 18th century by the freed slaves under the effective shadow of Britain, and only gained their independence in 1961. Which means it is understandable that they still try to speak in English even sometimes among themselves.
I think the director Mr. Zmick is successful in putting the movie smoothly in these poor countries streets and people. But I couldn't catch any distinct signature of him throughout the movie. I can save a few words for Mr. Di Caprio. During the last couple of years as he is getting maturer in his age and losing his baby face with the weights put on, we started to realise how a good actor he actually is. He already deserved my admiration, since breaking my heart as being obsessive-compulsive Howard Hughes in The Aviator. And in this movie only his almost genuine South African English accent proves us how much he's focused to be Danny Archer. Instead of writing too much about the African co-star Mr. Hounsou, I just would like to remind his acting in Amistad in 1997, (here ignoring his other movies in between). For me recalling him as a young, proud and leader spirited slave was a sudden flashback. Considering that he had a difficult child-young hood, I don't think he had to act too much.
Generally speaking, despite some of the cliché scenes, Blood Diamond is a special movie. It sheds a light on how diamond brings everything but money and wealth to this tiny poor country. Screenplay is trying to be honest and sincere, and besides the simple core story tries to cover too many facts about the illicit diamond trade. The rebel group (RUF) which was somehow created by any malicious intentions, fights against the government and people and makes massacre a reality of life in Sierra Leone. With their famous way of punishment especially to the young ones, to amputate one of the arms or legs, and using others in the so called diamond mines, to finance their rebel organization. And those stones, smuggled through the borders, exchanged in the hands and laundered by the brokers in Antwerp-Belgium and Israel, finally find their way to European customers in their most conflict-free and brilliant forms. And nobody is innocent in this story, neither the governments, nor the terrorised groups, nor the white African soldiers equipped with the very hi-tech combat gears whose so called mission is to clear the continent from socialist rebels, nor the smugglers and brokers, and lastly nor the young modern-life girls who are wishing for a diamond wedding ring without considering all the happenings till it's polished resplendently. Personally speaking there is an influence on me by this movie, and at this moment I am happy I don't have any diamond jewels, and do not plan to buy any.