Raquelle Blood Diamond: Why DiCaprio Surprised Me
October 7th 2008 03:26
I don’t know why I resisted watching Blood Diamond (2006) for so long. Perhaps it was the violence, perhaps it was Jennifer Connelly’s relentless doe-eyed expression…oh, no – I’m pretty sure I was put off by DiCaprio’s turn at a lackadaisical South African accent….and boy was I wrong!
DiCaprio was very deserving of that Oscar nom, I must concede. He gives a brilliant and believable performance as hard-arsed diamond smuggler and ex-mercenary Danny Archer, who cunningly befriends a local fisherman and rebel-captive, Solomon (played by Djimon Hounsou), founder of a hidden extraordinary rough diamond.
Set in a time of extreme polical unrest, during Sierra Leone’s 1999 civil war, the film is - as can be expected - brimming with violence, of all sorts. But to its its credit Blood Diamond resists being gratuitous.
Directed by Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Glory, Courage Under Fire) touted with an ability to tell war stories with great human emotion and character, doesn’t disappoint in this tale. The story, developed and written for the screen by Charles Leavitt, is both honest and original. Blood Diamond depicts the sheer atrocity of war, its innocent child soldiers, and the truth about conflict diamonds, referring to the development of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which makes mandantory the certification of the origin of diamonds in order to prevent their sale from facilitating war.
Academy Award nominated James Newton Howard provides a brilliant and compelling score.
It must be conceded that films centralized on conflict in Africa, especially those that attempt to push political or moral messages, easily come under fire and expediently split audiences and critics alike. While Blood Diamond has fared quite well critically, it is not without its detractors. For anyone who bases their political and economic decisions on the films they watch (surprisingly a high number of people in the world!) may not indeed warm to this story, and in fact may be totally turned off. But at the end of the day, this is an action/adventure/thriller which takes its audience on a journey with two very different men, their struggle for not only a priceless diamond (for two very different reasons), but their struggle for survival.
Despite very solid performances by DiCaprio and Hounsou (who rightly deserved all praise and accolade for his portrayal), the script fails in the development of the relationship between Danny Archer and American journalist, Maggie Smith (Jennifer Connelly), who assists in the hunt for the diamond in exchange for Archer’s whistle blowing black book. It’s a great shame that when a film soars in terms of its action and sense of adventure, complex romantic relationships are either uncomfortably stereotypical, unsatisfying or simply forgotten. Blood Diamond is no exception here. Its ending left this reviewer dumfounded. The phone call should have been scripted out. But this is Hollywood and it provided a ‘quick fix’ for a resolute ending. And a shame at that.
DiCaprio has shed a new light for himself. He took what could have appeared on the page as a very cut and dry likeable-bad guy (how does Hollywood do that?) and made him a real, emotionally complex and distinct character with great depth. He is up there with the best, and while he was always a contender, he is now that bit more believable.
DiCaprio was very deserving of that Oscar nom, I must concede. He gives a brilliant and believable performance as hard-arsed diamond smuggler and ex-mercenary Danny Archer, who cunningly befriends a local fisherman and rebel-captive, Solomon (played by Djimon Hounsou), founder of a hidden extraordinary rough diamond.
Set in a time of extreme polical unrest, during Sierra Leone’s 1999 civil war, the film is - as can be expected - brimming with violence, of all sorts. But to its its credit Blood Diamond resists being gratuitous.
Directed by Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Glory, Courage Under Fire) touted with an ability to tell war stories with great human emotion and character, doesn’t disappoint in this tale. The story, developed and written for the screen by Charles Leavitt, is both honest and original. Blood Diamond depicts the sheer atrocity of war, its innocent child soldiers, and the truth about conflict diamonds, referring to the development of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which makes mandantory the certification of the origin of diamonds in order to prevent their sale from facilitating war.
It must be conceded that films centralized on conflict in Africa, especially those that attempt to push political or moral messages, easily come under fire and expediently split audiences and critics alike. While Blood Diamond has fared quite well critically, it is not without its detractors. For anyone who bases their political and economic decisions on the films they watch (surprisingly a high number of people in the world!) may not indeed warm to this story, and in fact may be totally turned off. But at the end of the day, this is an action/adventure/thriller which takes its audience on a journey with two very different men, their struggle for not only a priceless diamond (for two very different reasons), but their struggle for survival.
Despite very solid performances by DiCaprio and Hounsou (who rightly deserved all praise and accolade for his portrayal), the script fails in the development of the relationship between Danny Archer and American journalist, Maggie Smith (Jennifer Connelly), who assists in the hunt for the diamond in exchange for Archer’s whistle blowing black book. It’s a great shame that when a film soars in terms of its action and sense of adventure, complex romantic relationships are either uncomfortably stereotypical, unsatisfying or simply forgotten. Blood Diamond is no exception here. Its ending left this reviewer dumfounded. The phone call should have been scripted out. But this is Hollywood and it provided a ‘quick fix’ for a resolute ending. And a shame at that.
DiCaprio has shed a new light for himself. He took what could have appeared on the page as a very cut and dry likeable-bad guy (how does Hollywood do that?) and made him a real, emotionally complex and distinct character with great depth. He is up there with the best, and while he was always a contender, he is now that bit more believable.
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I like the JNH score as well, especially the main theme which gets beautiful, evocative treatment towards the end in a few places.
Comment by Raquelle
Cinema Voir
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Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I agree about the phonecall, I can see how they wanted to get that part across, that realisation in the relationship, but it ended up feeling a bit contrived and undermining the rest of the film.
Michaelie
PS: I really like your banner!