Blood Diamond
Rent & Buy
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. 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 countrywide.
What critics thought
Edward Zwick's conflict-diamond thriller earns genuine respect for DiCaprio's performance and its visceral depiction of Sierra Leone's civil war, but critics were sharply split on whether the film's social conscience is credible or just Hollywood window dressing on a conventional action movie. Audiences responded more warmly than critics, who frequently noted that the film's ambitions outpace its storytelling discipline, especially in the final hour.
“Great performances, provocative ideas and gripping action scenes fall prey to Hollywood logic and pat storytelling in the final hour.”
Damon Wise·Empire
“Given that the movie doesn't have a single narrative surprise—you always know where it's going and why, commercially speaking, it's going there—it's amazing how good Blood Diamond is. I guess that's the surprise.”
David Edelstein·New York
“De Beers can relax; the only indignation stirred up by Blood Diamond won't be among those who worry about where their jewelry came from, but with audiences incensed by facile politics and bad storytelling”
Nathan Lee·Village Voice
“Much like Zwick's Glory and The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond strives to be an important film while stopping well short of being genuinely provocative and artistically chancy.”
Scott Tobias·The A.V. Club
“Zwick's narrative skills keep us hooked on the story, and the first-rate production values and imaginative use of locations (it was shot in Mozambique) give the film an enthralling scope and epic sweep.”
William Arnold·Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Accolades
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Edward ZwickDirector
Leonardo DiCaprioDanny Archer
Djimon HounsouSolomon Vandy
Jennifer ConnellyMaddy Bowen
Kagiso KuypersDia Vandy
Arnold VoslooColonel Coetzee
Antony ColemanCordell Brown
Benu MabhenaJassie Vandy
Anointing LukolaN'Yanda Vandy
David HarewoodCaptain Poison
Basil WallaceBenjamin Kapanay
Jimi MistryNabil
Michael SheenSimmons
James Newton HowardComposer
Djivan GasparyanComposer
Charles LeavittWriter
Eduardo SerraCinematographyBlood Diamond
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. 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 countrywide.
What critics thought
Edward Zwick's conflict-diamond thriller earns genuine respect for DiCaprio's performance and its visceral depiction of Sierra Leone's civil war, but critics were sharply split on whether the film's social conscience is credible or just Hollywood window dressing on a conventional action movie. Audiences responded more warmly than critics, who frequently noted that the film's ambitions outpace its storytelling discipline, especially in the final hour.
“Great performances, provocative ideas and gripping action scenes fall prey to Hollywood logic and pat storytelling in the final hour.”
Damon Wise·Empire
“Given that the movie doesn't have a single narrative surprise—you always know where it's going and why, commercially speaking, it's going there—it's amazing how good Blood Diamond is. I guess that's the surprise.”
David Edelstein·New York
“De Beers can relax; the only indignation stirred up by Blood Diamond won't be among those who worry about where their jewelry came from, but with audiences incensed by facile politics and bad storytelling”
Nathan Lee·Village Voice
“Much like Zwick's Glory and The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond strives to be an important film while stopping well short of being genuinely provocative and artistically chancy.”
Scott Tobias·The A.V. Club
“Zwick's narrative skills keep us hooked on the story, and the first-rate production values and imaginative use of locations (it was shot in Mozambique) give the film an enthralling scope and epic sweep.”
William Arnold·Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Accolades
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Edward ZwickDirectorLeonardo DiCaprioDanny ArcherDjimon HounsouSolomon VandyJennifer ConnellyMaddy BowenKagiso KuypersDia VandyArnold VoslooColonel CoetzeeAntony ColemanCordell BrownBenu MabhenaJassie VandyAnointing LukolaN'Yanda VandyDavid HarewoodCaptain PoisonBasil WallaceBenjamin KapanayJimi MistryNabilMichael SheenSimmonsJames Newton HowardComposerDjivan GasparyanComposerCharles LeavittWriterEduardo SerraCinematographyRent & Buy