Socio-political drama paired with action adventure

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2006)

Solomon Vandy(Djimon Honsou,to me,the best part of this movie)is little more than a simple farmer/fisherman in rural Sierra Leone. His simple life is interrupted when R.U.F. rebels sack his village,kidnap his son and force him into forced labor. When he stumbles upon a large diamond in the mines,he goes against better sense and hides the gem,which doesn't go unnoticed by his captors. He manages to get arrested,where he makes the acquaintance of mostly amoral diamond broker Danny Archer(Leonardo DiCaprio,who does his best to be as gritty and unsavory as possible here),who decides to sidle up to the village man to find the diamond he's accused of having. The two,along with a savvy,bright reporter named Maddy Bowman(Jennifer Connelly,intelligent and sporting the most inscrutable green-eyed stare),make the long trek back to the wilds of Siera Leone,looking for Solomon's family,which in turn is tied to the diamond Solomon found.
Director Edward Zwick seems to like large,panoramic movie settings,and he seems to be the perfect director for this piece that utilizes as much of the wide,rough terrain of western Africa. Writer Charles Leavitt's script is rife with socio-political theming,and while it's as subtle as a sledgehammer,it's effective all the same. The acting performances move in a mostly perfect rhythm with the film's tone,particularly Honsou and DiCaprio.
An effective blend of action and conscience,this movie should enthrall AND make the viewer think about the full cost of the bling that sells at your jeweler's.