Blood Diamond

Plot synopsis:
Set during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1999, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebel forces. The film portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels' amputation of people's hands to stop them from voting in upcoming elections.The film begins with the capture of Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman, by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels when they invade the small Sierra Leonian village of Shenge. Separated from his family, Solomon is enslaved to work in the diamond fields under the command of Captain Poison (David Harewood) while his son Dia is conscripted into the rebel forces, the brainwashing eventually turning him into a hardened killer. The RUF use the diamonds to fund their war effort, often trading them directly for arms. While working in the RUF diamond fields as a forced laborer, Solomon finds a large diamond of rare pink colouring. Moments before government troops launch an attack, Captain Poison sees Solomon hiding the diamond. Captain Poison is injured in the attack before he can get the stone, and both he and Solomon are taken to prison in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an Anglo ex-mercenary from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), trades arms for diamonds with an RUF commander. He is imprisoned after being caught smuggling the diamonds into neighboring Liberia, and the diamonds are confiscated. He had been transporting the diamonds to a South African mercenary named Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo), who is in turn employed by South African diamond company executive Van De Kaap (Marius Weyers) and his deputy Simmons (Michael Sheen). Coetzee is Archer's former commander in 32 Battalion, the most decorated unit of the South African Border War, made up of Angolan and Rhodesian soldiers and white South African officers. Archer is desperate for a way to repay Colonel Coetzee for the diamonds taken from him when he was arrested and thrown in jail, in the same prison as the fisherman. While in prison, he overhears Captain Poison ranting to Solomon about the discovery of the large diamond and decides to hunt down the stone. He arranges for Solomon's release from prison and offers to help him find his family in exchange for the diamond.Archer and Solomon find their way to Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist, who helps Solomon track down his family. Bowen soon learns that Archer is using Solomon to find his diamond and will eventually steal it for himself, to leave Africa forever. Bowen, a humanitarian, refuses to help Archer unless he can tell her about the diamond market to stop the flow of blood diamonds out of Africa, cutting off funding for Civil War and ending a mass revolution. Archer gives Bowen the information that she wants and gets access to use the press convoy to travel to Kono to find the diamond.The convoy is attacked and Archer, Solomon and Bowen escape and find their way to the South African mercenary force under Colonel Coetzee. There they learn of the attack force preparing to retake Sierra Leone -- a reference to the actual 1995 hiring of South African security firm Executive Outcomes by the provisional government of Sierra Leone. The two men leave the camp on foot while Bowen boards a plane carrying foreigners out of the conflict zone. After an arduous overnight trek, the men reach the mining camp in a river valley, still under RUF control, where Solomon discovered and buried the large diamond. Here, Solomon is painfully reunited with his son Dia, who refuses to acknowledge him because he has been brainwashed by the rebels. Solomon is also reunited with Captain Poison, who orders him to find the diamond, but the South African mercenary force, also after the diamond, dispatches the RUF rebels in a massive air strike which kills many of the RUF rebels and some of the miners. Amist the choas, Solomon suffers from temporary insanity and kills Poison with a shovel. Through a deal with Archer, Colonel Coetzee forces Solomon to retrieve the stone. In a desperate battle, Archer kills Coetzee and the other two soldiers with him after realizing that they would have killed both Archer and Solomon upon locating the diamond. At this point Dia holds Archer and Solomon at gunpoint with a pistol, but Solomon manages to convince him to side with them.As Archer overturns a body to take equipment he realizes he has been shot, but keeps this to himself. Having arranged in advance for a plane to pick him up, he radios to the pilot, Benjamin Kapanay (Basil Wallace), who demands that Archer dump Solomon and Dia. Slowly and painfully the group makes its way from the valley towards an airstrip atop a nearby ridge. Archer collapses, unable to climb, and Solomon carries him a little ways before Archer has him put him down. He tells Solomon to take Dia home, knowing that he is dying, and gives them the diamond. Archer holds off the soldiers chasing them while Solomon and Dia flee, and then makes a final phone call to Bowen, asking her to help Solomon as a last favor before looking out over the beautiful landscape of Africa once more and dying peacefully.With the help of Bowen, Solomon trades the diamond to Simmons for a large sum of money and the reunification of his family, making the exchange as Solomon's wife and children deplane from a Lear Jet at a London airport. Bowen, who secretly photographs the deal, later publishes a magazine piece exposing the trade in "conflict" or "blood" diamonds. The film ends with Solomon smiling at the photograph Maddy took of Archer earlier, now published in her magazine along with the complete story of their journey, before addressing a conference on blood diamonds in Kimberley, South Africa, describing his experiences. This refers to an actual meeting that took place in Kimberley in 2000 and led to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade in conflict diamonds.

Tags: brainwashing, violence, avant garde, action, murder

Review:
This is a film that, while concerned with the political situation in Africa, focuses more on how the obsessive search for a large, rare pink diamond consumes those who get too close to it.DiCaprio is excellent as a Rhodesian (HIS description) mercenary and arms dealer working in Sierra Leone.
With a set of natural instincts that lends a non-showy, believable quality to all of his performances, versatility, and movie star size charisma that fills up the screen and emotionally hooks the viewer into his character and story, it is hard to think of another male American actor (with the exception of Johnny Depp) who is consistently giving an audience its money worth; these two gentleman have taken the reins from Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, as those two Oscar-winning future legends of the silver screen gracefully age into more mature roles.In Blood Diamond, it is Mr. DiCaprio's performance that raises this film above it's standard Hollywood fare of a script (although it is a solid script) into something memorable.
He was able to make the audience feel the gamut of emotions his character experiences during the course of the movie- pride and hope, fear, outrage, resignation, mistrust, desperation, and determination, and beautifully rises above the somewhat limiting way his role was written.I thought Ms. Connelly did as good a job as possible in her role as "the idealistic journalist who wants to make a difference." Her part was just a larger version of Joaquin Phoenix's in Hotel Rwanda.
"Blood Diamond" is the kind of action film that makes you think that 'a moment of love, even in a bad man, can give meaning to a life...' The film opens in Sierra Leone, 1999 when Civil war rages for control of the diamond fieldsAccording to devastating reports, these stones are being used with both rebels and government forces to purchase more weapons and finance civil war Danny Archercrazy for diamonds like everybody elsebelieves this pink gem holds his ticket out of this godforsaken continent He is a smuggler, a former mercenary and weapons trader from Zimbabwe who bribes all, and supplies arms to both sides He gets Solomon Vandycaptured by government troopsout of jail only because he overhears that the fisherman might have found a clear massive stone about the size of a bird's egg Vandyforced apart from his family and sent off to work as a slave in the minefieldshas hided the enormous 100 carat diamond from his captors and buried it in a secret place within the jungle His son Dia is taking away by a brainwashing militia called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) turning him with lies, drugs, and liquor, into a cold-blooded murdererDanny makes a deal to help the noble fisherman find his family if Vandy will lead him to the diamond The majority of the story is their journey across the war torn country Leonard DiCaprio is both ruthless and charming as the cynical soldier of fortune who knows an opportunity when it presents itself But he also is aggressive and selfish willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants He illustrates the black side of the dirty diamond trade On his trek to find the stone, Archer's eyes are opened to some enduring values that surpass his own self-profit Djimon Hounsou eventually realizes that Danny's connections and money are his only hope He plays a helpless character totally passionate as the resolving and fiercely determined father desperate to learn the fate of his familyConnelly is an idealist who wishes to display corruption She thinks that with Archer's help she can get a unique story line surrounding the civil war but also revealing corporate malfeasance and cover-up behind the diamond trade It is also good to mention Arnold Vosloo in the role of Colonel Coetzee, head of the army unit also trying to claim the diamond He's a great character actor and remains a powerful presence and one of the screen's most efficient scene-stealer Nominated for five Oscars, "Blood Diamond" is an action, political adventure at its best!.
The torturous road of South African diamonds to the greedy fingers of an indifferent world makes this new Edward Zwick movie one of the most powerful Action/Adventure/Dramas to come out of Hollywood in a long time.
'Blood Diamond' is a beautifully shot war thriller set against the backdrop of the Sierra Leone civil war, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou in their Oscar-nominated roles.
By far one of the best war dramas of modern times, 'Blood Diamond' is a powerful testament in the film industry boasting intense and well-executed action scenes and heart-wrenching drama.
Asides from all the graphic and disturbing scenes in the movie I loved the story line of a African man Solomon Vandy trying to find his kidnapped son, while Leonardo DiCaprio is more interested in finding the extremely rare and valuable Blood Diamond which Solomon Vandy has hidden in a rebel camp.
Although I do feel that the mini flood of African themed movies in the past couple of years is a bit lop-sided, with most people these days probably thinking of trucks carrying stoned child soldiers when they think about Africa.Anyways, 'Blood Diamond' is political and dramatic.
But sacrifices will be made.We have an amazing cast, so let me just get them out of the way -- Leonardo DiCaprio as smuggler Danny Archer, Djimon Hounsou as native African Solomon Vandy and Jennifer Connelly as journalist Maddy Bowen.
These three riveting story lines are flawlessly sewed together to present a masterpiece taken place during rough times, yet utilising the beauty of Africa in the cinematography to give you an entertaining movie with great dialogue, satisfying villain, soul shattering soundtrack and many morals (including how you look at jewellery and "good things happen everyday" -Maddy Bowen).Please watch this movie!.
But it was so well done and presented, the actors were just incredible and touched my heart, their stories were so uncomfortable and aching to witness, but just so inspirational.In Africa there is a huge civil war going on, the RUFF's are fighting to keep their diamonds and not hand them over to the government, even if it means destroying villages of their own kind and making men into slaves and turning young boys into brutal killing soldiers.
It cannot decide what it wants to be, and regrettably botches through both paths.Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond follows Rhodesian mercenary (oooh, scary!) Danny Archer (Leonardo Dicaprio), Mende fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) and American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) on a quest to find a rare pink diamond that Solomon first found when he was forced to work in the diamond fields.
This is irritating in the film and it suggests two things: the script is unbearably lazy and sees action galore as a plot device and way to avoid writing the end of 'difficult' scenes with conversation or character development or 'Blood Diamond' tells us that we should not take it seriously and just treat it as any run-of-the-mill action-adventure.
1990 ,Sierra Leona,this is the story of Danny Archer(Leonardo DiCaprio),an ex-mercenary and nowadays diamonds smuggler and a fisherman named Salomon(Dijimon Honsou),besides a reporter named Maggie(Jennifer Connelly).Meantime Danny is prisoned for smuggling ,he learns that the fisherman was forced to quest of diamonds and he hid a giant hot rock.He was kidnapped and removed his family and then their fates become jointed when the two men embark on a dangerous mission throughout enemy lines.They confront perils and risks with imposing tension,action,violence to save his family and retrieve the rough stone,but they find themselves on a collision course with another groups to encounter the marvellous jewell: The revolutionaries forces and the cruel colonel(Arnold Vosloo) who also want to claim.The film displays a political denounce about the countries' indifference to preventing the civil war and horrible genocide and ambition of businessmen on diamonds smuggling.The movie gets an acid critic to the indolence of United Nations and international community(exception by the Ambassador played by Stephen Collins) and the abandon of foreign policy.Thus, a personage says that origin conflict is for apartheid policy realized by Belgian and the King Leopold(like in Hotel Rwanda).The film has lots of action,fast pace,emotional drama,romance and touching scenes.Exceptional performances by its entire cast with special mention by nominated to Oscar,Dijimon Honsou(Amistad,Gladiator).Atmospheric,colorful cinematography by Eduardo Serra(The earring pearl girl).Sensible,perceptible and sometimes spectacular musical score by James Newton Howard.The motion picture is well directed by Edward Zwick(Glory,The last Samuray).The picture combines action,intrigue,violence,historical backdrop,based on real events.The movie contains exciting and violent scenes like is the breathtaking battle when the military revolutionaries going into the capital Freetown with blood and fire ,including rampage,ravage and indiscriminate massacre.The film will like to Leonardo DiCaprio fans containing numerous scenes have you on the edge of your seat..
But it is pretty much an either - or situation and I still think the issues are presented well enough to balance the effectiveness of the real problem and entertainment.Overall, Zwick's 'Blood Diamond' is an excellent gripping drama thriller that showcases the talents of actors Hounsou and Dicaprio, writer Leavitt, music director Newton Howard and director of photography Serra..
Moreover, the film is a bit too long at 138 minutes and suffers from attenuation and repetition in its final half hour.Those negatives aside, "Blood Diamond" is, for the most part, an effective piece of serious commercial movie-making, thanks, primarily, to Zwick's skill as a director and to the fine performances by DiCaprio, Connelly and, especially, Hounsou, whose quiet dignity and fierce determination do much to personalize the plight of the innocents caught in a hellhole of wanton slaughter and crass de-humanization.
It's rare to find films like these in Hollywood nowadays.But they are still plagued by the Hollywood formula.So is the case with Blood diamond.A thoughtful and stunning action drama with a message to send out that gets bogged down by the Hollywood fatigue.Blood Diamond could've been a great film,but that was never gonna happen.The film for the most part was solid.It kicks off well and holds on until its second half becomes your typical Hollywood drama with a Hollywood ending.But nevertheless,it gets its message across in a really effective way.And that's only because of director Edward Zwicks sincere effort.Probably his best film since the LAST SAMURAI.He carefully balances the film's message and action and big budget adventure and still capture the shocking accounts of brute in Sierra Leone.Where kids are given guns to roam free and kill whoever they wish to,where laws are broken and country is torn apart by civil war.Danny Archer(Di Caprio) is a diamond smuggler who owes his boss and gets around to places quickly.He doesn't have a permanent home or location and he's really hard to trust or predict.But as he gets arrested for illegal smuggling he comes across another prisoner who is arrested for the wrong cause.Solomon Vandy (Djimon Honsou) is caught by the rebels while trying to help his family escape.He is forced to dig diamonds from the ground until Vandy finds the blood diamond,which he hides and keeps safe.As he is captured by the government he is pursued by Archer,who will help him find his family and get back his son from the rebels; only if he gets him his blood diamond.Along the way Archer meets an optimistic journalists (Jennifer Connelly) who is more interested in getting the information of how illegal diamond smuggling works than getting her share of the price.And only Archer can give her that information.The three embark on a deadly adventure through the torn Sierra Leone,where gunfire and killings are a routine and can come out of anywhere.But there are secrets Archer is hiding and he is desperate to have that diamond in his possession before others capture them.Sounds like your typical,old-fashioned action-adventure.But think again,this ones got a message and it's executed with unconventional sense until we reach its final third half.It's done with excitement and enough action to lure the average moviegoer into the theatres.Because that's the only way to get the message and horrifying events to its audiences to realize what their diamonds cost.But it also feels clichéd and old-fashioned in parts.The screenplay should've been way better and there was potential in it.But the writer opts for the usual Hollywood flairs.That is not to say that the script doesn't have strengths.It does have some really well written parts with strong lead characters.And it tells a very honest story.But it could've worked a little more.It's the Director that keeps everything afloat and Zwick is best at these kinds of films.He is not afraid to show us what Sierra Leone was really like a few years back.How it tore itself apart due to the civil war.And how the world didn't gave a damn about it even if they said they do.The world is just there for the benefit.The governments promise help and they just never provide any.Either they are limited or they don't get what they want.It's the political side of it that destroys and promotes the kinds of things that went on in Sierra Leone and that is true even now in other parts of the world,like IRAQ.What would an average moviegoer say about films like these?He'll think about it a lot and try to think of a way to help,but the next day he'll forget about it and pretend he never even saw anything like this.And that's what has been happening.We make films like these to open everyone's eyes and once they've had their eyes wide open they close them and move about their business.So,what's the point of making these kinds of films.The main strength of this film is that it is a message movie packed into a commercial film.So that it could reach a wider audience.And for that it's recommended.Another reason is the characters and the events they go through,which are executed skillfully by a veteran like Ed Zwick.Di Caprio has been making some really great films the past few years.Post-Beach,he's been making some really memorable and striking pictures and working with the best in Hollywood.And each time his performances get better and better.As Danny Archer,Di Caprio infests unpredictability in an otherwise predictable anti-hero.He makes us hard to predict Danny's moves.You are not sure whether you should trust him or not,even till the final few moments of his time in the film.But he makes Danny more human and sympathetic.And he nails it once again with his biting performance.It's unlike any character he's ever played and he's a totally different kind of Di Caprio here.But,I still loved his portrayal of Howard Hughes more than this.And every time he is beaten by a greater performance at the year end awards.Ironically,they were African-Americans,who beat him twice.And they both deserved it.Maybe,next time Di Caprio might finally win.And Djimon Honsou's fierce performance as a father in search of his son is so believable that you know he will do anything to get back his family.Jennifer Connelly doesn't have much to do.Well,her character won't allow her to ,except making the usual speeches and bashing.But Connelly looks stunning.The film is packed with brilliant editing,exceptionally well staged,exciting action set pieces and good cinematography,with able score.It's a well made film only hampered by its weak screenplay.It's filled with a stunning production values and entertains fully.But it certainly could've been a great film and it had the potentials to be.It's only strong performances and able direction that propels and prevents this film from becoming your usual Hollywood action-adventure.It is worth checking out and will seriously hit you with its message about the cost of those bloody diamonds..
Blood Diamond was a great hard-hitting movie with heart-felt story and brave performance by Leanardo Dicaprio and Djimon Hounsou.
With a story spanning many countries taking place amid the chaos and maelstrom of a vast civil war, there are many coincidences that take place – all necessary to the story I might add – that find the key characters running into each other at suitably dramatic points of time.Di Caprio is brilliant, shedding his pretty boy image once and for all as the hard as nails, selfish and opportunistic Danny Archer, Djimon Honsou great as the equally desperate Solomon Vandy, his hoarse scream has quite an impact, and Jennifer Connelly hard nosed and resourceful as a journo who could walk away at any time but chooses to allow herself to become involved in proceedings (she is also still insanely hot).As mentioned above the action sequences are especially effective and gruesomely realistic, with the wholesale slaughter of anyone in the vicinity being graphically depicted.
Edward Zwick does another brilliant piece of directing in "Blood Diamond," a 2006 film starring Leonardo di Caprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou.Set during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1999, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebel forces.[1] The film portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels' amputation of people's hands to stop them from voting in upcoming elections.The diamond industry, as the ivory industry before it, is proving disastrous to civilians as the film opens in 1999.
The first time this came out I was desperate to watch it.The trailer was just awesome and there was a lot of hype about it.Never actually going to the cinemas to watch it,I bought it on DVD with high expectations,knowing how good Djimon Hounsou,Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Connoly are and with Edward Zwick in the directors seat it was a sure thing.
The movie highlights important issues about the war and diamonds extracted from conflict zones in Africa.Like every film it may have some flaws, but for me it was a gripping, deeply moving film.As for the acting Djimon Hounsou was outstanding, he truly deserved the Oscar nomination.I don't know if DiCaprio's accent was accurate (I have no knowledge of how an African accent is supposed to sound), but his performance was solid, just like the rest of the cast.It's definitely worth watching..