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Respectfully weaving a fictitious action-adventure narrative within a tumultuous nonfictional time and place is a daunting proposition for any filmmaker. 2006's Blood Diamond attempts such a premise, as its fictional story takes place during the real-life Sierra Leone Civil War. Fortunately, veteran filmmaker Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai) is more than capable of handling this material, skilfully breathing cinematic life into Charles Leavitt's ambitious, meticulously researched screenplay. More thoughtful than an average summer blockbuster, Blood Diamond is several things: an arresting action-adventure thriller, a searing indictment of corporate greed, and a history lesson that explores South Africa's unscrupulous diamond trade. Zwick nails all these things while maintaining interest through immaculate filmmaking and sublime performances.
In war-ravaged Sierra Leone, peaceful fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) lives with his family and hopes to keep them safe from the country's continuing conflicts. But when rebels tear Solomon's village apart, the father is forced away from his family and assigned to work in the diamond fields for a vicious warlord, Captain Poison (David Harewood). While mining a river, Solomon unearths an extremely valuable pink diamond and manages to bury it before government troops storm the area. Imprisoned in Freetown, Solomon gains the attention of Rhodesian ex-mercenary and gunrunner Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), who specialises in smuggling conflict diamonds. Hearing of Solomon's discovery, Archer bails the frightened father out of prison, hoping to use him to find the stone. With Danny promising to help Solomon find his family in exchange for the diamond, a hesitant partnership emerges. Into this mix soon steps American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), who is in the country conducting research for a story about the conflict diamond trade.
Blood Diamond clocks in at a hefty 135 minutes, but it doesn't feel too long, as there is enough momentum to maintain interest. As the story progresses and plot twists unfold, the movie draws us in deeper and deeper; we grow to care about Solomon and Archer and want to see the men succeed at their respective goals. Indeed, Blood Diamond is, at its core, a provocative human story. Miraculously, the film additionally explores the brutality of the conflict diamond trade with unflinching realism without the stench of exploitation, as such material serves to add compelling dramatic weight to the narrative. Plus, there's a level of complexity to the characters that make Blood Diamond more intelligent than your usual good guys vs. bad guys action flick. Once the end credits roll, it's virtually impossible to forget the harrowing images here, and viewers are left to think about the truth behind the shameful inner workings and secrets of the profitable diamond industry that are too often swept under the rug.
Produced for a sizable $100 million, Blood Diamond looks sublime. Zwick shot the film on location in Mozambique and other areas of Africa, affording a visceral, authentic atmosphere that is impossible to achieve on a sterile set or a crisp digital environment. Furthermore, Zwick is a superlative director, and his action sequences and shootouts are frequently exhilarating, such as a phenomenal large-scale battle at an R.U.F. camp involving a helicopter. Also worth noting is James Newton Howard's original score, which is full of flavoursome motifs that give compelling life to this story. It is also remarkable that a movie of such grand scope is bold enough to be R-rated, refusing to skimp on the harrowing details of the Sierra Leone Civil War. The violent depiction of everyday conflicts in Sierra Leone may seem exploitative, but the violence is never gratuitous; instead, Zwick merely avoids sugar-coating or sanitising the nasty details. The vivid sequences here of child soldiers being dehumanised through training and killing innocent people are not easy to forget. This type of stuff happens in reality, and Zwick seeks to highlight this fact, spreading awareness in the process.
With DiCaprio in his thirties here, his pretty-boy appearance is replaced with a face of ruggedness, wisdom and character, all traits that make him perfect for the role of Danny Archer. The role calls for DiCaprio to espouse a tricky area-specific Zimbabwean accent, and he nails it. You genuinely believe DiCaprio - he doesn't sound like an actor forcing an unnatural voice; he looks, sounds and feels like the real deal. Better yet, DiCaprio's intensity is spot-on. Indeed, he richly deserved the Oscar nomination he received for his performance. Alongside him, Djimon Hounsou (who also received an Oscar nomination) is earnest and convincing as Solomon Vandy. Hounsou brings his trademark intensity to the role, in addition to nobility and gravitas. Rounding out the leading players is Jennifer Connelly, who easily convinces as dedicated reporter Maddy Bowen, and a terrific Arnold Vosloo, who plays Archer's superior.
One of the best movies of 2006, Blood Diamond is enthralling and insightful big-budget action cinema. On top of its top-flight technical credits and magnificent acting, the film also possesses a sense of humanity. Indeed, it is hard to hold back tears during a late scene when Solomon is forced to confront his son, who was brainwashed by rebels, or when Archer tearfully calls Maddy to give her permission to finish her article. Blood Diamond is a film that successfully entertains as it educates, and it features one of Leonardo DiCaprio's greatest performances to date.
9.2/10
