Blood Diamond

Director Edward Zwick consistently makes well-acted, beautifully-shot, and expertly-told cinematic fare, but for some reason I always end up feeling like there is something missing when the credits start to roll. I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I think back to other movies of his that I've seen--The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Glory--they all share this similar trait. It's like a dinner at a fancy restaurant where the dishes are all expertly prepared, the service impeccable, and the ambiance inviting, but as your paying the bill you have this nagging feeling that you just didn't get your money's worth.

Blood Diamond is no different. It's an ambitious story set in the backdrop of the Sierra Leone civil war and the international diamond trade, and it follows the path of a soldier of fortune and a village fisherman as they seek to retrieve a huge and potentially priceless diamond. The action is riveting and the acting is top-notch, as we are exposed to the bloody reality behind many of those sparkling rocks coveted by so many and adorning the fingers of every bride.

Leonardo DiCaprio turns in a great performance as a disenfranchised Rhodesian mercenary who is profiting from the illegal diamond trade and the civil unrest, and Jennifer Connelly also shines as a hardened journalist who will stop and nearly nothing to expose the nasty little secrets of the international diamond monopolies. But it's Dijmon Hounsou who steals the show (and just about every scene he is in) as the enslaved fisherman who is desperately trying to be reunited with his family. His striking presence and emotive face create some of the most electrifying and heart-wrenching moments in the film. It's a shame he didn't win an Oscar for his performance (though Alan Arkin *was* great as the heroin-snorting, porn addicted grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine).

Some of the best performances are also turned in by the rebel soldiers, and especially the children (I doubt many who have ever acted before), who have been uprooted from their homes and turned into disconnected and unfeeling killers. You really get a sense of the utter chaos, complete lawlessness, and total disregard for human life that still plagues many African countries today. It's truly frightening, and fortunately Zwick tones it down a bit lest the film become completely unwatchable.

The main characters are complex and well-developed and tempered with multiple shades of gray. There are no "good guys" and "bad guys" in this film (with perhaps the exception of the diamond companies) as every character is forced to make moral compromises as they are confronted with the madness of the world that they live in. As they say in the film, TIA (this is Africa). The larger "message" about the evils behind the diamond trade is highly evident, but is mostly presented in the context of the story and does not feel overly heavy-handed or preachy.

It really bothers me that I can't figure out why I didn't like the movie more. All the elements of a great movie are there: great acting, good screenplay, engaging story, good cinematography, universal themes, social message, crisp editing. It's as if Zwick does 90% of the work but never completes the last 10. I'm not talking about resolution or heart, but rather that intangible quality that provides richness and completeness to our experience. Some movies have it, most don't. Blood Diamond is exceptional on many fronts and better than many movies out there, but when all is said and done I still found myself wanting more.


Blood Diamond (2006)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Dijmon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly
Directed by: Edward Zwick

(5 out of 7 skinks)