Everything you want from a suspense adventure movie and a cut above: this one informs about 'conflict diamonds,' 'child soldiers' - gritty livelihoods beyond US

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2006)

'Blood Diamond' is the story of Solomon Vandy (the fisherman, the family man, the father - passionately portrayed by Djimon Hounsou) in Sierra Leone who by circumstance, ran into Danny Archer (the soldier of fortune, loner without family ties - Leonardo DiCarprio is Archer, accent and all) from 'Rhodesia' who by chance met Maddy Bowen (the persistent war correspondent - a naturally convincing journalist by Jennifer Connelly) an American who's been in Capetown for three months. Story spans from Sierra Leone, Africa, cross continents to London, United Kingdom. [1] Director Edward Zwick (and his producing partner, Marshall Herskovitz of Bedford Falls Productions - gave us "The Last Samurai" 2003 with Tom Cruise) once again delivered a memorable meticulously executed film journey, with well-researched informative story subjects. [2]
By Hollywood standard, it is an entertaining film with involving drama of intersecting lives crossing paths and superb performances from the three leads (and a solid debut from young Kagiso Kuypers as Dia Vandy the son), with well-paced action & sound of explosive city-in-turmoil military scenes. Yet no scenes are gratuitous: scenes of war, civil or any scale, are never mind-settling; the 'child soldiers' segments felt 'documentary-real' - mind-boggling (can they really do such 'heinous' things?), and on diamond mining - provocative (is that how diamonds are extracted from the earth? Is human kindness ever universal?) Script by Charles Leavitt ('K-PAX' 2001, 'The Mighty' 1998), cinematography by Eduardo Serra ('Girl With A Pearl Earring' 2003, 'What Dreams May Come' 1998), music by James Newton Howard (w-d M. Night Shyamalan's films; 'Batman Begins' 2005) and proficient production team complemented the sensitive (ever perceptive and responsible) direction by Zwick.
Some scenes could be difficult to take, but this is an engaging, touching film, and informing (eye-opener) to worlds beyond 'us'. 'Conflict Diamonds' and 'Child Soldiers' are existing realities, 'Blood Diamond' the film has made a difference, the crew, production and distribution companies. It's a movie not to be missed.
[1] Sierra Leone is a country on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa. Formerly a British colony, it became independent in 1961. Its capital is Freetown. Population 2 million.
[2] There are detail behind the scenes production notes accessible on the official Web site at 'blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com'. The 'EYEWITNESS' section tells how director-producer Ed Zwick connected with documentary filmmaker Sorious Samura (his actual experience in Sierra Leone and "Cry Freetown"), who became the 'soul of the production.'