REVIEW: Blood Diamond

I saw a screening of Blood Diamond starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Jennifer Connelly (Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind) and Djimon Hounsou (Best Supporting Actor nominee Amistad, In America) at a private residence Saturday night. The audience, which was nearly 30 people, was also overwhelmingly African American and gay.

I had heard one extremely positive comment from a relative stranger in mid-December when the film first opened but I had seen somewhat lukewarm reviews and some negative rumblings about Connelly's performance. The film has grossed more than 50 million dollars domestically and a total of nearly 100 million dollars internationally, so it will likely make money for the releasing studio, Warner Bros. The film garnered a surprisingly strong five Academy Award nominations (Best Actor for Dicaprio, Best Supporting Actress for Hounsou and three technical awards) last month.

So, I was unprepared for how gripping and enjoyable I found Blood Diamond. I believe it is well-directed by Ed Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai) who I respected from his thirtysomething days. The script (by Charles Leavitt) is a slightly fantastical (to save Hounsou's character from near-certain death at the hands of unpredictable and violent rebels there are two improbably propitious coincidences in a very short period of time). However, generally I found the film very suspenseful as well as disturbingly violent (harrowing scenes of maiming and mutilation).

The most compelling aspects of the film to me were the amazing African scenic landscapes and the dramatic portrayal of the training, living conditions and violent activities of the child soldiers.

I agreed with the overall political project of the film (drawing attention to the horrific price in human suffering of what have come to be called "conflict diamonds") and I believe it is more effective at incorporating entertainment and exhortation than last year's African film The Constant Gardener which won Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Weisz (who happens to be married to The Fountain's Darren Aronovsky.) I heartily recommend the film to others and look forward to seeing The Last King of Scotland (set in Ghana) to see if I can make significant comparisons.

GRADE: A.