Precious gems will not seem same after watching "Blood Diamond"

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2009)

"Througout the history of Africa whenever a substance of value was found locals die in great number and misery.." "Blood Diamond" is best Edward Zwick movie I have seen so far ( I was immensely disappointed with Tom Cruise turd "Last Samurai" ) With characters and locations seem straight out of a Wilbur Smith novel Blood Diamond displays an example of blood mayhem , tragedy and huge suffering occurred during Sierra Leone Civil war ( 1999 ) in West Africa. The catch is rich diamond deposits of Sierra Leone of course. Everybody wants them , brutal RUF rebels who raids and burns villages for labor to work in diamond mining , South African mercenaries who sell arms to them in return for the diamonds rebels got , diamond cartel which funds mercenaries and rebels to control the illegal diamond flow to market , individuals , governments you name it. This movie shows how inhuman we can be in pursuit of material monetary enrichment and disregard human suffering in the background. Or worse inflict that suffering ourselves...
Meet Danny Archer , ex-South African soldier now mercenary and diamond smuggler. Leonardo Di Caprio displays this character excellently on screen. He studied this character meticulously , perfected a Rhodesian accent , obviously took some kind of military training down to ammunition saving in battle situation as any sane soldier in combat situation does. This is not an just an action movie ( though there is a lot of amount of action and violence ) This is a drama , history , social commentary movie with realistic action and a little bit romance. When bullets struck home it usually kills or wounds one severely. Archer is a cynic. He is what he is. A man making his own fortune in a place of chaos....Although he is one of the three main characters he is not an angel or do gooder. His actions are usually based on his interests. But in fact he is is a decent man who has the capacity to do right thing. He just does not know or show that...Di Caprio was really brilliant with this character and that year Academy should have awarded him for this performance...( I am not including the Departed of course )
Djiman Hounsou is also very good as other main character as Solomon Vandy a poor fisherman who is separated from his family when RUF rebels raided his village. While working as a slave labor for rebels he finds a huge diamond and hides it. Meanwhile trying to find his family , especially his son Archer finds him and his secret so two make an uneasy deal...This character is usual and even a little bit stereotype for Houmatsu but again he plays it strongly...He is somewhat representative good simple ordinary man , another add in countless victims of Africa's troubles , a man of simple nature who determined to take his family back
And lets not forget Jennifer Connelly as Maddy Bowen an American journalist , idealist trying to make a difference by writing facts...By acting as voice of conscience for Archer she makes an impression though Connelly's character is a little bit weaker than other two. Still Maddy was passionate and quick-witted. Her silent romance with Archer was beautiful and unusual somewhat more classic romance in over sexualized Hollywood...Most of the supporting cast is also very good as David Harewood as sadistic RUF rebel commander ( he was also humorous sometimes ) , Arnold Vosloo as commander of mercenary forces , Kagiso Kuypers , Basil Wallace and Michael Sheen
The battle sequences , violence , tragedy of child soldiers might be haunting but they are also strong reminders of what really happened and shall happen as long as we don't care...When you pay your three month salary to purchase a diamond ring for your fiancée / girlfriend / wife think about it. That piece of shiny rock might have passed through a layer of human blood....
T.I.E. ( This is Africa )