Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Rating: R
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Somehow Blood Diamond was lost in all the dirt scuffed up by the shuffling of all the other action thrillers last year, but its surprisingly one of the better films of 2006.Set in 1999, the backdrop for the film is the civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone during the 1990's. It's the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an African diamond smuggler trying to get his piece of the pie, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman who is separated from his family amidst the power struggle between the government and the rebels. Both men's fate are tied and are led down the same path to find a rare pink diamond.
At first glance, Blood Diamond seems to be mediocre political film with boomsticks, but if given a chance, it can be so much more than that. While the action sequences can be mind numbing and repetitive for the first hour, the film builds on its story to make a powerful statement. By the end of the film, air will taste sweeter and bleach will smell better.
Closely paralleling the violence in Darfur today, the film explores the motives of war and carnage. It treats both sides as complex humans, not subject to the simple labels of good and evil.
Not surprisingly Leonardo DiCaprio proves yet again that there is no role he cannot play. He gives the his most mature performance, showing his wide range. His fleshed out character, Danny Archer, is the backbone of the film, as the most interesting and confusing character that glues your eyes to the screen in disgust and sympathy.
To back up DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly give solid performances. Also, to round out the acting, the film has a decent screenplay combined with beautiful cinematography.
Blood Diamond attempts to get your adrenaline rushing as fast as Niagara Falls but misfires and
hits you in the heart. Once the action takes the passenger seat and the story starts driving, this film can give a unique and moving experience.
1 comment:
Blood Diamond illustrates the downside of the free market, especially unchecked greed in the pursuit of self-interest. SPOILER: DO NOT READ IF YOU WISH NOT TO HAVE THE FILM'S PLOT REVEALED:
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I didn't buy into Danny Archer's last minute conversion to sainthood - -he reminded me of Claudius who prays to God for forgiveness not because he is ready to renounce the throne but to ask for leniency in the afterlife for his ill deeds. Likewise, if Danny Archer hadn't been about to expire, do you think he would have given the diamond to Solomon Vandy? I doubt it. Danny wanted out of Africa and that diamond was his ticket. Only because he was dying, did he give it away, because as they saying goes, you can't take it with you, at least not where he was going.
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