Decent, but not the film it could have been

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2011)

BLOOD DIAMOND is quite boring. Which is a shame, because the moral of the story could have been used with something that could've turned out to be a film with its greatness similar to Hotel Rwanda, and although many have called it out for being preachy as a method to reinforce its message. The lack of character establishment aside, Blood Diamond fails to pack a punch, choosing cinematography that, instead of dazzling the viewer, distracts them from the message. It may be a masterpiece in the way that it is well-staged, the performances are at their best (but it could be said that they have had more challenging roles and have lived up to them). Despite the heart-wrenching scenes that are so often used in the film, it is dressed up as an irrelevant political point that is offensive. Edward Zwick's ambition is to display the exploitation of the diamonds and to make some political point about the lack of action in Western nations. The only moral that can be achieved is the former, because the second point is more distracting. The film does have a core: that a lot of the resources (in particular diamonds) we have today are only their due to the misery of others. But it requires far much thought than is needed due to the frustration that is evoked by choosing entertainment over matter, despite the risk that when matter is embraced, entertainment can stem out of it. Positives lie in the script and the positives and merit must be given in the importance it gives to survival.