Edward Zwick's Diamond in the Rough
Bloody Hell in Sierra Leone
By: Charles Giuliano - Dec 20, 2006
Blood Diamond
Directed by Edward Zwick, Screenplay and Story by Charles Leavitt
With: Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer, Djimon Hounson as Solomon Vandy, Jennifer Connelly as Maddy Bowen, Kagisto Kuypers as Dia Vandy. Running time: 138 minutes.
Director Edward Zwick's film "Blood Diamond" raises the question of whether we go to the movies for social and political enlightenment, in this case the brutality of the Revolutionary United Front which recruited boy soldiers and routinely severed limbs during a ten year civil war in Sierra Leone (the film is set in 1999), or to be entertained by a the conflict of star crossed lovers in Darkest Africa? Well, a little of both, but, arguably not enough of one or the other to have a lasting impact. This is a project with limited shelf life at the megaplex but enough legs to limp through end of the year award nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio.
While DiCaprio's role in "Blood Diamond" has been nominated as best actor for the Golden Globes, widely regarded as a preview for the Oscars, this is the lesser of his two performances this year a distant second from his better role in the powerful and more enduring Boston, mobster tale "Departed." Here again Leo the feline hearted, he of the yellow mane and soft blue eyes, struggles through another difficult accent. "Departed" conveyed a wretched attempt at a Boston accent particularly when matched with the authentic flat tones of Matt Damon This time he is cast as a born and bred Afrikaner, Danny Archer, who grew up in Rhodesia and fought in Angola. Or, as the politically correct investigative journalist with bedroom eyes, Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) reminds him, no longer Rhodesia, but now Zimbabwe.
For an American audience, however, Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, what's the difference? How many of us can look at a map of Africa and name more than a handful of its nations? Most of what we know about Africa and its complex social and political struggle comes to us through the media and a steady stream of well intended Hollywood movies like "Constant Gardner" "Hotel Rawanda" and "The Last King of Scotland.". Unfortunately, we tend to get information in proportion to the degree of disaster and conflict in a particular trouble spot or the extent of greed of European nations exploiting natural resources. At the beginning of the film there is a voice over litany of the disasters caused by the thirst for minerals, gold, diamonds, and oil. There is a comic relief moment when we come upon an old man, one of the few survivors of a ravaged village, who remarks "thank God they haven't discovered oil in Sierra Leone." Who knows what would happen then?
There is a lot of action in the film. Whenever the love story or the quest of the fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) to find his son bogs down, the rebels cause more mayhem. The characters are amazingly adept at dodging bullets. Zwick's ploy to sustain our attention is a steady rhythm of bombs and bullets.
While there are lots of villains from the ruthless, cartoonish rebel commanders, to Danny as anti hero and soldier of fortune, to the upscale businessmen and bureaucrats back in London profiting on the illegal trade in "blood" diamonds, we never really come to understand why we are in Sierra Leone. What is the driving force and motive for the revolution other than greed and a lust for power? How did these men and their boy soldiers evolve to the point that they were capable of such atrocities? What drove them to abandon all vestiges of humanity? In the text that rolls down at the end of the film we learn that the rebellion in Sierra Leone has been resolved but that there are some 200,000 boy soldiers who continue to be involved in African conflicts. It is chilling to witness a child becoming a man by brandishing an assault rifle. Here it is the weapon that makes the man. Clearly the killing is fun for the kids.
And we also wonder when Leonardo DiCaprio will grow up? He has evolved from a club hopping child star with his own posse of hangers on, a prototype for "The Entourage" series on HBO, to a steady progression of "serious" roles. He has developed from boy to boy man ("Titanic") to boyish man ("Gangs of New York") to mannish man ("Aviator") to just adult male ("Departed" and "Blood Diamond"). It is a Hollywood pattern that is all too familiar. Think of the career of Tom Cruise for example. Or Mickey Rooney. In "Blood Diamond" once again we see a small, baby faced man, acting tough. As in "Aviator," the first time we took him seriously, DiCaprio has his moments in "Departed" and "Blood Diamond." It is entirely possible that he may eventually become a serious actor.
And what of Jennifer Connelly and the remarkable Djimon Hounsou? Overall, Connelly is growing on audiences. She has understated, attractive, but average features by Hollywood standards. But she also has an ability to provide low key, well crafted, unobtrusive and believable performances. She was entirely credible here as the committed journalist taking on the most dangerous assignments. Hounsou emerged with the film "Amistad" and has been locked into the role of Noble Savage since then. He is a powerful and riveting performer. Often compelling emotion is conveyed through his eyes and restrained body language. But not a lot of dimension and growth is written into his character. He is cast as a simple fisherman who risked his life to hold onto a spectacular rough diamond the key to freedom and rescue of his family. The turning point comes when this good and simple man bashes the brains out of a rebel leader. Yes, even the hands of this "saint" are now blood stained. There is a chorus of critics hoping that Hounsou will be cast in a part worthy of his considerable talent.
If this is at best an average or mediocre film why bother to write a review? Won't it just come and go in the arena of public opinion? True, but there is always the hope, however slim, that a Hollywood film will hit the mark with an elusive combination of entertainment and insight. This film left us with the conclusion that the diamond business is bloody hell. Perhaps we already knew that. And arguably it may lead us to want to know more. Like where the hell is Sierra Leone?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm
http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/143607/1/1?gclid=CPrUn7XGoYkCFTM7GgoddQerLg
From Berkshire Jeweler Richard W. Wise http://www.gemwiseblogspotcom.blogspot.com/