An adventurous action movie that presents an important issue while also fully entertaining!

Rating: Null/10 (22 September 2011)

One of the best war movies I've ever seen! The movie Blood Diamond is set in Sierra Loene in 1999 in the heart of political conflict and civil war, fought between government soldiers and rebel forces. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Danny Archer, an ex-mercenary from South Africa, who meets Soloman Vandy, a Mende fisherman. As they cross paths, they begin their journey in attaining the highly valued pink diamond, and this brings them together as they share moments of friendship and survival.I thought the acting was fantastic throughout the film. The actors were able to represent their characters well and that really helped get the main point across from the movie, which is the issue of blood diamonds. The overall cinematography also stood out because the war and mining scenes were extremely realistic. The music included in the movie played a large part in adding to the intensity of the film. Besides all of these characteristics, I think one of the best things about the movie is the political context it presents and how it makes you think about the issue of blood diamonds and child soldiers over in Sierra Leone. This movie raises awareness of the conflict and possibly will even make people want to do something about it. What makes Blood Diamond stand out from other movies is that the quality of the movie is great, but it also manages to deliver an important message. One major downfall that was noticeable to me, and there weren't many of them, was that the movie can get slightly overwhelming and a bit confusing at times, especially to people that aren't familiar with the conflict and/or with watching war movies. The storyline moves quickly and makes it hard to keep up with what's going on in the film. However, that doesn't distract the viewer enough to make this movie any less entertaining or informational. Blood Diamond, based on a true story, represents the reality of the political issues in Sierra Leone over diamond mining and child soldiers. Many of the war scenes are intense, so this wouldn't be a good pick for children. This movie has a good combination of action-filled war scenes along with dramatic storyline, including the importance of family, career, and romance. I found myself fully engaged throughout the entire movie as I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what happens next. Blood Diamond kept me fully entertained while also informing me of the real-life issue in Sierra Leone. I would rate this movie 10 out of 10 stars, Blood Diamond is a must see!