A two-hander starring Leonardo DiCarprio and Djimon Hounsou, Zwick’s (he directed similar struggle-for-survival yarns like Glory and Legends of the Fall) Blood Diamond
is a true story that fixes on two men caught in the little-reported but
bloody and chaotic civil war that threatened every man, woman and child
living in 1990’s Sierra Leone.
Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio)
is an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, while Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou)
is a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and
their circumstances (one needs a blood diamond to make some cash, the
other needs it to free his family) are completely dissimilar. Now,
they’re forced to band together to recover the sparkly thing at any
cost.
I gotta say it, Di Caprio is an insanely talented son of a
gun. You can’t take your eyes off the guy; he’s one of today’s most
credible artistes, and in the role of the complex Archer – with South
African accent to boot – he gives one of his grandest performances to
date. In addition, Djimon Hounsou (so good in In America a couple of years back) is indisputably likeable and highly convincing as the film’s hero-in-waiting.
I
also gotta say this; the actors are much better than the script.
Charles Leavitt’s screenplay, though effective and captivating enough,
lacks a certain something – be it a better ability to emotionally
connect with the characters, or a more frenetic drive to keep you
glued. It also seems to move uneasily between political drama and
Saturday matinee adventure movie, in turn resulting in an intriguing
mesh of say, Romancing the Stone and The Killing Fields. There’s a point here; but unfortunately it’s been melted down to subsidise the wages of another 1000 extras.
Having
said that, there are several moments that are truly harrowing – just
witnessing children offloading their firearms, or seeing thousands of
innocent people slaughtered is enough to rattle anyone to the bone, and
Zwick captures the madness effectively. In addition, the film itself
looks a million bucks (or should we say, 100 carrots?) With its
wide-ranging visuals and stunning backdrops.
All in all, this Diamond sparkles – just don’t look too close.
EXTRASCommentary by the director and a smallish featurette in tow. Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 50% 
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