Blood Diamond - media tip-off -Under a goat's skin it is bloody diamonds (plural)

Rating: 1/10 (12 December 2006)

Blood Diamond  One Star Time: 1999 Place: Sierra Leone, West Africa Politics: grave civil war and racketeering, including the diamond harvest for the purchase of machine guns to support the civil war. Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, as Danny Archer, Djimon Hounsou as Solomon Vandy and Jennifer Connelly, as Maddy Bowen Premise: far out, far fetched as in tunnel vision, not strong enough to vigorously and seriously capture any sane person's attention. Solomon, while sifting for diamonds, discovers a rare pink one, and anxiously wraps it in a torn piece of rag, burying it in the earth. Of course, he plans to reclaim it. What makes it so valuable in his eyes? In England, an awaiting jeweler will buy it for a great sum. He and his family will be free, financially and socially. The most thought provoking question arises. What do we place value on and why? For Solomon and Danny Archer, the West African mercenary, riches and dreams bypass the ordinary for extraordinary by means of this pink diamond. Pursuing its capture and trade for money, each believe that there is everything to gain and possibly everything to loose, including their very own lives.
In Robinson Crusoe fashion, this premise plays out. Archer, with determined action pursues the buy out of the mentally scarring and physically taxing practices of diamond racketeering. Solomon, in grave desperation to flee the mass sick persecution, causing great harm to him and his family equates this diamond, just as brilliantly as Archer, a life changing course of passage, to first and foremost, safer land. He and his family are not fighters, maybe naive dreamers, but certainly not people of malice. Tragically, his wife is corralled with others, as prisoner. His young boy, who expressed dreams of being a doctor, is under the spell of the lead guerrilla, a ruthless man, training the boy to kill with a machine gun.
Fairly early in the film, Jennifer Connelly's character is approached by Archer. What single man isn't looking to strike up a conversation with a pretty and striking lady, in a place where only relentless pain and toil persist. She quickly says her name. Mage, Meg, Marge, Maddy? She's an American photo journalist who is set to reveal to Europe, America, if not all of the world, the cruel ways in which diamond traders and buyers work. It's a disgrace, but so is her and her character, residing in such a country portraying this war. To the very end of her West African assignment, she persists to interview West African soldiers, like a high school student collecting trivia and data for the school's weekly paper. All I can think is that Harper's Bazaar is calling you. You are completely in the wrong gig. Don't worry Jennifer. We've all found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. But you volunteered and I wondered why, because you looked so absolutely stupid through out the whole film, and painfully stupid at that. How could this premise give credence to your acting?
My advice  give up on playing yourself as the liberating feminist, as it not only makes feminists look stupid, but translates to simply female idiocy. In your character's end, it comes across a little too Kathy Bates, from "Misery"  'Mr. Man.' But again, who am I to say? You were only acting  right? Harpers Bazaar  think about it? It just might tell a closer truth, or at the very least, a better fiction!
Question for Leonardo? How would Danny ever literally store a diamond under his tooth and why? That was silly. Also, Leonardo, your goose chase was almost as ridiculous as Jennifer's, with the exception that you are a man, playing in a man's world, an oft times foolish one at that. If you wanted to show such physical prowess to your public or yourself, why didn't you talk to me first? Certainly, if you didn't like what I have already written, I could have designed something more tantalizing and less taxing. Even though your character was Crusoe precarious, you tempted me by all of your earthly wiles and sacrifices. Means by which you through this character dreamily wanted to save your soul, was infinite, not finite. That was impressive, even though the story was not. There was no compromise for you, tragic hero!
If Jennifer can have a Harper's Bazaar spread, why can't you have something that reflects Nemo found, something altruistic, like a bow flex, a lovely, cling to lady, and a resort of your choice for three months? Djimon, do you have an education? It's always continuing anyway. What about a scholarship to an American University? You cleaned up well at the end. It's certainly, not automatic riches, but it's knowledge and understanding, less ignorance and laziness. A son of yours really could become a doctor after all, or a jazz musician. Not bad. As the Chinese say, Happy Christmas!