Majestic views, grim reality

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2007)

Blood diamonds are conflict diamonds being sold by illegitimate rebel groups. Selling of these highly sought gems is a huge business for RUF, a rebel group fighting against government in Sierra Leone civil war.
It's hard to describe the way this film manages to touch a viewer like me from a "rich" western nation. There are child soldiers with AK's shooting people at random, cruelty, poverty and misery, and to give it contrast, spectacular outdoor shots of majestic Sierra Leone landscape with canyons and jungle. This is a story about people amid civil war, and their search for things they value the most, whether it is diamonds, family or sheer excitement.
"Let's hope they don't discover oil here. Then we'll have real problems."
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, white African diamond smuggler. This is without a doubt one of DiCaprio's best performances, right after unforgettable Jack Dawson in Titanic, and rugged undercover cop in Departed. Danny gets a hint of an enormous diamond hidden in jungle, and is willing to risk his future in search of this gem sought after by many dangerous people. Danny is a former mercenary, and is more than capable of taking care of himself amid the civil war turmoil. He is accompanied by Solomon Vandy (played by Djimon Hounsou), a local searching for his family and Maddy Bowen (played by Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist.
Hounsou with his strong physical appearance is solid actor, and Jennifer Connelly while a bit stiff still plays an OK role as an idealistic American journalist in search for a touching story.
"Sometimes I wonder if God will ever forgive us what we've done to each other. Then I look around and realize God left this place a long time ago."
The grim pictures of a white man shooting down Africans are sure to bear a heavy burden on top of this kind of film. However, DiCaprio is so believable and capturing in his role of sole survivalist, that this is hardly an issue. The script is good, director Edward Zwick gives the imagery and themes appropriate space to sink into viewer's consciousness. Besides bearing the obvious message, the film still manages to be an action film enough.