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Blood Diamond Strikes a Poignant Note With American Consumers
Blair Mullally '10
STAFF WRITER

Bling. Ice. Whatever you call them, diamonds are without a doubt one of the most expensive and rarest objects one can buy. When we think of these precious stones, we usually imagine celebrities traveling the red carpet. We rarely consider the unsettling facts about the extensive, dangerous and often violent trips these rare beauties must endure in order to get to buyers worldwide.

Directed by Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai), Blood Diamond follows the intersecting lives of several individuals involved in the long journey conflict diamonds, or “blood diamonds," take before being shipped out of Africa. The film is set in late-1990s Sierra Leone, in the midst of a bloody civil war between the government and The Revolutionary United Front, a group of guerilla rebels.

Because of the country’s extreme poverty, diamonds are seen by many as the only way to a better life; the sale of these diamonds is a key part of a vicious, never-ending cycle in which the revenue from illegal diamond sales funds the purchase of illegal arms for rebel guerilla armies, like the RUF.

As scheming, seductive rogue (and former mercenary) Danny Archer, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a charismatic performance of a man whose entire life revolves around the tracking and sale of diamonds. More than anything, Archer is jaded enough to shake off his violent activities as just another day at the office. Despite his hard edge, Archer is charming enough to get exactly what he wants out of everyone he meets, without guaranteeing them anything in return.

Although not credited as a lead actor, Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) matches DiCaprio step for step, giving a raw, emotionally charged performance as Solomon Vandy, a struggling South African fisherman and father who is constantly trying to protect his family from the ever-present rebels.

After being captured by the RUF (and separated from his family), Vandy is sent to a rebel-run diamond mining camp at which he observes the horrific actions taken against miners who do not follow the rebels’ oppressive rule. After becoming smart to the ways of the rebels, Vandy manages to find a 100-karat pink diamond, which he quickly buries in the ground near the rebel camp before being taken into government custody and jailed.

In his debut performance, Caruso Kuypers gives a startling and almost spine-tingling performance as Dia, Vandy’s young son, a once focused student who is drafted into the rebel army. After being drafted, Dia becomes a killing machine, repeatedly murdering the innocent townspeople he and his family once represented, without giving it a second thought.

Despite a fairly brief appearance as the somewhat stereotypical American journalist Maddy Bowen, Jennifer Connolly manages to interject some charm and courage into the role, in part due to her chemistry with DiCaprio. In the quest for information for an expose on conflict diamonds, Bowen seeks out a friendship with Archer, knowing that he would be the ultimate source for her article. Despite her supposed experience working as a war journalist worldwide, Bowen’s behavior often makes her come across as somewhat green. Bowen’s naivete is occasionally quite helpful however, as it forces her to take a different approach from Archer, her hardened partner.

One of the film’s few downsides is its length. At two hours and twenty-three minutes, it is considerably longer than most films in theaters today. Although the complicated storyline is without a doubt the cause of the film’s length, it is completely necessary to explain all the ins and outs of the plot. However, the extended length does slow the film’s momentum. While many critics feel that the film attempted too hard to stress the film’s message of global conflict and inspire international activism, one has to wonder if either can really ever be too greatly stressed.