When you watch a movie titled “Blood Diamond” you know it’s not going to be all fun and games. Blood Diamond lives up to that foreshadowing with heart wrenching performances from actors such as, but not limited to Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly. Filmed on location in South Africa, Mozambique, and London the 2006 film created a look into the horror that is daily life for many of those living in Sierra Leone. This lethal combination of potent acting, and moving scenery was so well orchestrated that it received not one, but five Oscar nominations amongst a multitude of other awards and nominations. Not even Critics where able to raise their noses too high concerning the film. As far as Critics go the film received positive reports from 62% out of 211 reviews earning it a 6.3/10 or “fresh” rating on popular critic site “Rotten Tomatoes.”
The plot of "Blood Diamond" begins with Solomon Vandy, a village dwelling Mende Fisherman, witnessing the destruction of his village by the RUF militant rebel group. During this event Vandy’s family is separated, Vandy is captured, and his son taken by the rebels. Vandy is spared from being maimed or killed because he is strong of body and can be useful to the rebels in their diamond mining operations.
While working in a dredge mining camp Vandy happens upon a huge pink diamond. Seizing advantage of the commotion caused by a government raid on the mine Vandy buries the diamond before being captured by the government troops. Since the rebels had no uniforms there was no way to distinguish camp worker from rebel troops; this results in Vandy being tossed in Sierra Leonean Prison.
It is in this prison that Vandy crosses lives with our other main character, Danny Archer. Archer, who has been tossed in Jail for diamond smuggling, overhears one of the rebel captains saying he saw Vandy with the huge diamond. Being an emotionally scarred ex-mercenary Archer has money on his mind, and not much thought for other people. That being the case Archer approaches Vandy after their release from prison. Archer’s proposition is simple: Vandy finds and gives him the diamond and Archer will help Vandy find his family.
This agreement takes Vandy and Archer through war torn Sierra Leone. A beautiful landscape only soiled by the death and destruction that follows the realization of trading blood for diamonds. After reaching the diamond mine where Vandy had been enslaved, Vandy see’s his son Dia for the first time since he was taken during the RUF raid on their village. Now the rebels have turned Dia into a child soldier, which causes Vandy to make some decisions with his judgement clouded by grief.
After Vandy’s actions almost give them away Archer is forced to call on some of his old Mercenary contacts, some of whom he is at odds with. Ultimately the mercenary forces devastate the rebel troops, and Vandy is able to pull Dia away, saving him from sharing death with the other RUF forces. When Archer faced by his old Colonel who also wants the fabled giant pink diamond, the situation escalates resulting in the Colonels death, and Archer being critically wounded.
Now in possession of the diamond Vandy, his son, and Archer run from the remaining mercenary troops whose leader they had killed. Archer realizing that they aren’t going to make it, comes to terms with his life, and sacrifices himself in order to hold off the mercenaries and ensure Vandy’s escape with both diamond and son.
As our movie comes to a close Vandy, who now lives in the United Kingdom, helps to expose the criminal actions of a huge diamond conglomerate called Van de Kaap. He does this ironically by selling them the giant pink diamond, and publicizing it. The movie concludes with Vandy speaking about at a conference about the horrors of blood diamonds, a talk met with a huge round of applause. A warm ending to an otherwise cold movie on an icy subject.
