Gripping, captivating, tragically sad

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2007)

The political movie genre is going through a some sort of an Indian summer lately. Its newest incarnation is Blood Diamond, a violent action flick on first glance, but extremely deep and utterly tragic below the surface.
This is a rare opportunity for non-Africans to get a glimpse on the tragedy of Africa: one of the most beautiful places on earth, exploited for ages by the colonial powers, then ravaged by its own people trying to scrape together whatever the colonialists left behind. The filmmakers have done a great job capturing the twisted situation of this continent. Caps of the beautiful countryside interchange with disturbing pictures of village assaults, child soldiers and bloody violence. Everything is held together by a fascinating and memorable musical score.
The cast is top notch. I was never a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but he has surpassed himself in this movie. He has also undertaken a commendable effort to imitate a Southern African accent, even though he uses phrases like 'huh', 'bru' (South African slang for Brother or 'bro') or 'my man' way too often to sound truly genuine. Benin actor Djimon Hounsou makes a wonderful counterpart to DiCaprio's character, while South African celebrity Arnold Vosloo adds some authentic touches to his own character.
This movie is well worth watching - for its story, for the camera-work, for the scenery and the score - but it is not easy. It stands in line with recent political efforts such as 'Hotel Rwanda', 'Lord Of War' or 'Syriana', and if you have at least one of these in your DVD shelf, you cannot miss 'Blood Diamond'.