| Product: |
Blood Diamond (DVD) |
| Date: |
31/03/08 (61 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Brilliant stroy, brilliant acting, everything is brilliant
Disadvantages: some scenes are upsetting
Synopsis
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.
The Story
The story is set in the year 1999 in war torn Sierra Leone. Fisherman and family man, Soloman Vandy has a dream of his son Dia becoming a doctor, his dreams are then shattered when the rebels invade his village, although he manages to get his family out of the rebels clutches he himself is taken by them, rather than kill or mutilate him the rebels decide he will be a good worker and take him to work at the diamond mines. While there Soloman finds a large pink diamond and tries to hide it, the rebel's leader, Captain Poison sees him and while trying to the diamond off Soloman the mine is attacked by the goverment army, during the raid Soloman manages to bury the diamond but he's then arrested and thrown in jail.
Meanwhile Danny Archer an ex-mercenary turned diamond smuggler get arrested trying to suggle diamonds over the boarder he then is also thrown into jail.
While locked up the injured Captain Poison is brought in and demands Soloman tells him the whereabouts of the pink diamond, of course Soloman plays dumb but Archer who has overheard all this suspects otherwise and when he is released from prison also arranges to have Soloman released.
Danny tells Soloman that in return for the diamond he can help Soloman to find his wife and kids.
Danny decides to enlist the help of an American Journalist he has met, Maddy Bowen, she wants Danny's story and so locates Soloman's family in the hope Danny will give her sme real insight into the diamond trade.
Soloman's family are in a refugee camp minus his son Dia who has been taken by rebels. Captain Poison recruited Dia as one of the rebels in revenge for Soloman not telling him where the diamond is, he's pretty sure Soloman will come looking for Dia but in the meantime he trains him how to kill.
Danny convinces Soloman that if they get pink diamond , they will be able to locate Dia and rescue him so they set off on their dangerous mission.
Cast/Credits
Danny Archer - Leonardo Dicaprio (The Departed)
Soloman Vandy - Djimon Hounsou (The Island)
Maddy Bowen - Jennifer Connelly (Hulk)
Dia Vandy - Kagiso Kuypers
Colonel Coetzee - Arnold Vosloo (Agent Cody Banks)
Captain Poison - David Harewood (The Merchant of Venice)
Director - Edward Zwick (The Last Samuri)
Written by - Charles Leavitt (K-PAX)
Running Time : 143 mins
Awards
Nominated for 5 Oscars, sadly didn't win any, I think it was robbed!
My Experience
When I first heard of this film I have to be honest, I really didn't fancy it much, I thought it was just an action film where the main characters are looking for a diamond, i didn't realise that the film had so many more layers. The only reason I sat down to watch it was because despite my lack of interest everyone I had spoken to about it reckoned it was brilliant. Rather than buy the film I decided to rent it instead.
In 1999 when the film was set I was 22 years old, working hard but partying harder, although I remember hearing about a civil war in Sierra Leone, I didn't know where it was, let alone what it was all about so this film came as an education to me. When it started and I realised it was going to have a slightly political story I didn't think I was going to be able to get into it but about two minutes later I was utterly engrossed.
The acting was absolutely fantastic, I'd heard a few people say Leonardo's accent was rather dodgy but he sounded just like a South African lad I used to work with. All the characters were very believable, i really liked the fact that although Danny is one of the lead characters he isn't really likeable, he only begins to grow on you when he reveals more about his past.
Some people may found the film quite violent but I think if your going to watch it you'd have expect this since it's set during a civil war.
The film has been critisied for it's Hollywood ending, I can see why but I found the ending quite uplifting as the film contains some upsetting scenes, like Dia firing a gun for the first time.
Overall
I'd say this film is a work of brilliance, it's so tense it kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time. I higly recommend it.
Summary: Excellent film
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