An absorbing, exceptionally well made, thought provoking and incredibly moving film

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2014)

In the midst of civil unrest in Sierra Leone, Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) goes about his daily business as a fisherman. He is a hard working man who does everything he can to provide for his family and he also has a bright son who he hopes will become a doctor one day. Vandy becomes separated from his family when rebels from the R.U.F lead by the evil Captain Poison (David Harewood) capture him and force him to work for them in the search for diamonds. Vandy finds a large diamond and attempts to hide it, but he ends up being caught by Captain Poison. Just as Vandy is about to hand the diamond over, the R.U.F end up being attacked by the army and Poison gets shot and captured which gives Vandy the opportunity to bury the diamond. Vandy also ends up captured as the army also think that he is part of the R.U.F. However, when diamond smuggler Danny Archer (DiCaprio) hears that Vandy has hidden a large diamond (thanks to an outburst by Poison), he bails Vandy out of prison and offers to help Vandy's family in exchange for the diamond.
The first 10 minutes of this film were shocking, but also brilliantly filmed and incredibly realistic. Straight away, I just thought 'Wow'. There are a couple of scenes early on that aren't easy on the eye, but again they are necessary in order for the audience to understand and appreciate the utter savagery of the R.U.F.
One thing I really liked was how rich this film was in character development in particular with our anti hero Danny Archer. We get an entire back story about him being a former mercenary and we learn that his parents died in a pretty horrific way when he was very young. Character development is important in films, but sadly it is something that seems to be overlooked far too often. Solomon Vandy is the likable everyday man who will do anything to protect his family - the 2 later scenes involving Vardy and his son were particularly moving and this was due to a combination of fine acting and good scripting. Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) is also on hand to assist our unlikely duo when Archer tells her that he'll give her that 'big story' that she wants in exchange for her assistance in helping Vandy locate his family.
For me, what set this film apart was the plot twist involving DiCaprio's character. I was really pleased that he finally became a good guy and let Vandy keep the diamond and ultimately sacrificed himself. The most touching moment in the film was when Archer rings Bowen and asks her to arrange for Vandy to meet Van De Kaap (the diamond merchant) in London. This whole set up was just so that Vandy could get his family over to England and away from the danger that exists in their home country. I was really quite moved that Archer finally did the right thing which just made me appreciate the film all the more.
I've tried to do this film justice with this review, but I really don't think that it's possible to properly put into words how incredible this film really is. The acting, the script, the direction, cinematography and general atmosphere of the film were all first rate. One thing I can guarantee is that after watching this film you'll definitely pause and think carefully before purchasing that Diamond Ring or Diamond Necklace.