Disappointingly Average

Rating: 6/10 (11 January 2007)

War dramas such as 'Blood Diamond' can be some of the most emotive pieces in cinema. The barbaric acts that the people have to endure, the bloodshed and the violence all hit home due to its factual nature, brought to vivid and disturbing life on theatre screens. However 'Blood Diamond' fails to rise into the ranks of 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'Schindler's List'.
Walking out of the cinema I felt no emotion, I just felt as if the movie had come to an end and that was two hours of my life that I had enjoyed, but hadn't in any way had an affect on me. For subject material as disturbing and shocking as Sierra Leone one would most likely be surprised at this comment. The flaw lies in many of the crucial ingredients of film making. The way the story was portrayed is the first flaw on the list. Whilst I felt the director was trying to show what everyday life was like in the region at the time the various shocking elements that were designed to instigate the viewer to drop their mouth in shock were presented badly and almost guiltily I felt that Id seen it before. The characters simply didn't bring it to life, a task hampered by many moments that just felt far too convenient. Picture the three main characters walking over a hill and looking down upon a refugee camp that reaches out to the horizon. Over a million residents, Connolly comments. The three walk up to the fence, arriving in search of Solomon's family. Solomon examines the array of people and lo and behold there is his family. That really is one in a million.
On the subject of characters the next logical step would be to look at the acting. All round it was solid but I felt the source material just held back the actors from really delivering anything powerful. At one moment DiCaprio monumentally jumps out of character suggesting he'll cut a man's face off if he ever goes against him. The next moment they're happily walking across the hills. Continuity in this film was at times jarring, jumping from day to night scenes leaving the viewer wondering what happened in between.
As for structure the film meanders along nicely, intermingled with the occasional action scene that whilst nice to watch will never really get your heart rate pumping. And by the time the films minutes are nearly up we reach the emotional climax that really fails to reach its Everest, we simply don't care enough about the character. The only background delivered was of a childhood, which although surprisingly shocking for a clichéd 'parents were killed scenario' meant nothing on the basis of a script that fell emotionally flat.
'Blood Diamond' did many things adequately but never rose to the heights of a picture that really should have stirred the audience emotions given its notable subject material.