Leonardo Dicaprio Movie:

		List Price: $28.99		Label: Warner Home Video Salesrank: 17611 Released: July 3, 2007
		Our Price: $3.34
		Used Price: $1.99
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: HD DVD

Editorial Review:
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Description of Blood Diamond [HD DVD]:
Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. --Bret Fetzer

Blood Diamond [HD DVD] Reviews:
A lump of coal...
2009-12-07 - I had a feeling from the critical response and the trailers alone that I wasn't going to like this movie much. I am a fan of DiCaprio and I actually like Connelly despite her lack of range, and both actors had impressed me already this very year (`The Departed' and `Little Children' also being released in 2006) and so I was at least hoping they would elevate this film for me (although the spotty and awkward accent donned by DiCaprio was even distracting in the trailer). I have lost the faith I once had in Hounsou, the one I have now knighted Sir Screamsalot.

So, it's safe to say I expected this to be underwhelming.

I didn't expect to see ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN though!

I don't know if there is enough time in the world for me to express all that I find distasteful about this wretched film, and I don't know if I would want to subject any self-respecting reader to my tirade (nor do I think you would have the patience to bare with me on this one) so I'm going to try and be as brief as I can be.

The film attempts to shed light on a very dark and troubling epidemic of sorts in Africa. The harrowing truth behind conflict diamonds is heartbreaking and cruel and completely devastating. That is lost in this mess of a film. It gets lost in pointless violence (don't even try and justify this) and awkward speeches. It gets lost in aimless direction and clichéd performances. In fact, there is nothing to commend about this film. The only thing that is worthy of mention is the message the film is trying to relay; the problem being that it just doesn't relay it well.

Danny Archer is a selfish diamond smuggler who wants a giant raw diamond found by fisherman Solomon Vandy who has recently escaped enslavement by a ruthless rebel leader. Maddy Bowen is a journalist who wants Archer to give her the inside scoop on the diamond smuggling operations.

Vandy uses Archer to get his family (war torn) while Archer uses Vandy to get the stone while Dowen uses Archer to get her story.

The film isn't quite certain where it wants to be. I remember similar issues with `Beyond Borders' and I see a similarity here (although that film is far from this horrible). The film is essentially a mindless action film that decides to (awkwardly) insert messages of enlightenment to the viewer. In between countless scenes of bloodshed and screaming there is a fact driven monologue of how these stones are transported, and then there is more screaming and bullets. The film opens with violence and it ends with it. I remember looking at my wife and rolling my eyes about halfway through the film because it seemed as though no one could get through a single conversation without dodging a bullet. It was relentless and it took away HEAVILY from the films core.

I also felt that the interactions between characters felt forced and unnatural. This is a result of poor scripting (the definition of POOR!), but it is also a direct result of lazy acting. The standout here is Hounsou, and not in a good way. His idea of acting is a simplistic approach. When he is sad is cries. When he is angry he screams. When he is happy he smiles. That is all. Apparently he is mad a lot because all he does here is SCREAM, SCREAM, SCREAM. It is so over-the-top and irritatingly ridiculous. DiCaprio suffers from an awkward accent and insufferable dialog (I mean "bling bang"? Really?) but he actually portrays the emotions correctly (and I was happy that he remained selfish throughout most of the film). Connelly is a boring stereotype here, enough said.

The script was just a hodgepodge of unrealistic encounters and scattered bullet fire. The way Archer approaches Vandy, the way Vandy jeopardizes his life and the life of his son MORE THAN ONCE, the way Bowen chokes up on the phone...it ALL READS FALSE and ridiculously manipulative.

The only (small) redeeming factor (no redemption really, just a well played part) is anything involving Kagiso Kuypers, who plays Dia, Vandy's missing son. His scenes are a powerful testament to the darkness that engulfs this epidemic. Sadly, his scenes are few and his presence is masked heavily by the horrific direction taken by Edward Zwick, whose haphazard vision single handedly botched what could have been a somewhat intelligent feature film.

So, yes, this is a mess...a horrible mess that I would never wish upon anyone, even my worst enemies.

I nearly died of boredom
2009-11-28 - Blood Diamond is an amateur, cliche ridden, preachy film.

Unlike other, well done films and documentaries that cover 3rd world exploitation and conflict zones created by the 1st world, Blood Diamond fails to carry any emotionally weight.

The movie is often either sarcastic or sentimental, neither of which make me care about the real world problems or the onscreen characters.

the line 'just pray they don't find oil here' is and example of the way the film pokes fun at mass genocide in Iraq.


I just couldn't care. The movie is predictable, especially the ending.



If you really want to understand why this film is such a pile of garbage, then you need to see 'Darwin's Nightmare'


In fact, Go find 'darwin's nightmare' if you get one thing out of reading this review, it is that you need to watch that film.

The action was intense, but the story was a little sluggish
2009-11-12 - The action is intense, but like the title of the review states... the story is very sluggish. The movie is weak on character development and that is something that is actually odd for an Edward Zwick (Director) movie. I enjoyed Glory and The Last Samurai, but not Blood Diamond.

Best seller ever
2009-11-12 - I got the movie right away in great shape, like new ... I love this movie it has a big message to all the people who are nuts over Diamonds and dont know where they come from or who pays with their lives.. A movie that makes you think !!.. Thanks Again

Good action and story
2009-11-10 - Really good movie that shows some crazy stuff that happens for control of diamonds in africa. A lot of really graphic violence and realistic affects too. It got passed me in the theatres and when it came out on video it was well worth watching