Worth Seeing, Without a Doubt

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2006)

I was able to see a sneak preview of the film tonight ahead of the film's wide release next weekend. In short, it was worth braving the (large) crowd for a chance to get an early glimpse of the film.
As the title suggests, the film focuses on the seedy world of conflict diamonds, and how lead character Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) fits into the illicit trade that's involved. However, the film also touches heavily on other themes, including the issue of child soldiers and the unrest facing Sierra Leone during the late 1990's.
As with many Edward Zwick films (Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai) - the film is relatively lengthy. We are initially introduced to the character Solomon (well played by Djimon Hounsou) and how a simple fisherman, and his family, was swept into the rebel/government conflict in Sierra Leone. Without giving away too much, Solomon's separation with his son and the rest of his family plays a big role into the film.
Separately, Archer is introduced as a lone wolf/soldier of fortune type that is captured by local authorities for smuggling. As the movie progresses, both men meet under unique circumstances and essentially rely on each other to accomplish their ultimate goals.
Overall, the pacing of the film is relatively quick, and offers a sobering view of the underground diamond trade without appearing too preachy. The violence is very graphic, and at times, the images of chaos in Sierre Leone reminded me of the gritty scenes in Black Hawk Down. I was glad to see that Zwick avoided some of the cheesiness that he employed in The Last Samurai (i.e. hefty moral/cultural debates that came off as being more superficial than relevant) ... and let the situations that faced the characters speak volumes.
As for the acting, Djimon Hounsou showed once again why he is a great up-and-comer, and was to me, the real star of the film. His stints in films such as Gladiator and The Island provided much needed depth and substance to the lead characters in those films, and once again he's done it again. His acting and emotions spoke volumes about the tragedies that face the African continent, and at times, it's almost his emotions alone that carry the movie. His stoic patience in the face of losing his family and dignity was why he was the most sympathetic character in the film.
On the other hand, even though some have criticized DiCaprio's weak South African/Boer accent, I actually found that to be little of a distraction. I've always felt that DiCaprio was at his best when he's playing the underdog, or lone wolf/vagabond role (see Titanic, Gangs of New York) and in this case, he demonstrated why he's one of Hollywood's most versatile actors. Throughout the movie, he was good a playing a character that was hard to read...one that you never knew what his true motivations were. In that sense, you never knew if Archer was going to betray Solomon, and that created another layer of drama in the film. It wasn't so obvious, as say it was in other Zwick films, and the relationships between two protagonists.
I find that movies which raise awareness about key issues are a very important part of Hollywood. This was one of them. Some of the brutality and inhumanity that was portrayed in the film really hit home. Given the relative quality of most films these days, I was satisfied to watch a film that left me thinking, way after the credits ended. For that reason, I strongly recommend this movie.