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I should note that I'm not much of a Leo Dicaprio fan, but I can admit he was quite good in this film. All of the acting was above average for an action movie, in fact. Jennifer Connelly was as good as ever, though her character didn't have the same depth as in roles she's previously played (Requiem for a Dream, Waking the Dead, etc.). The action starts early, and there are only a few lulls in the middle. The story is interesting (see link above), even though it has a big political message. Luckily the politics are not as intrusive as they could have been - this movie weaves them in much like Lord of War did. The cinematography is great, really demonstrating how some parts of Africa are absolutely beautiful. I highly suggest seeing this film.
This is a compelling story with great casting of the major characters. Leonardo Di Caprio is outstanding as a soldier of fortune / smuggler of diamonds in Africa. Jennifer Connelly, who I have enjoyed watching since 'The Rocketeer', is more than just eye candy in this movie. She is caught up into the story and is vital to the plot line. Djimon Hounsou is very good in his role, and makes the plot line believable. The killings, the mutilations, and the senseless violence is a vital part of this movie to show the viewer the futility of what was going on in 1999 Sierra Leone. A Good Movie, but not for a date night. A serious and thought provoking movie. The ending is powerful.....
"Hotel Rwanda" features similar events, but told through the eyes of a black African. Somehow that viewpoint made the movie more personal, more powerful, and ultimately more rewarding to watch. I don't know why the main character's skin color is so important in a movie like this - but I think it's because it allows us to tie into the experience further. A white person in the world depicted here can still be shot and killed, but a black person would be TARGETED and then killed. Had they cast a black man in the Leonardo DiCaprio role, I think there would have been a more terrifying, harrowing experience - for both the main character and the audience. This movie (like the Last Samurai, also made by Edward Zwick) instead tells the story through the eyes of a white man - an outsider in this terrible place. That perspective allows us to be more detached from the events. We're following an outsider who is looking in. Therefore, we are also outsiders looking in. Because of that, I never felt connected to this movie. I enjoyed it - the same way I enjoy movies like Die Hard. But I didn't feel frightened or emotionally attached by what the characters were going through. I was enjoying the pretty scenery and marveling at the technics. I wasn't worried about Leonardo's safety at any point, like I was with Don Cheadle in "Hotel Rwanda." I felt for Hounsou's character, but I thought the director underused him. This movie has an important message, but I wish Hollywood would relay the message from the perspective of people more directly affected by the situation - rather than by outsiders looking in. I don't say this from a moral standpoint, like "Oh this is immoral." I just think it would be more powerful and more convincing if told by someone who is actually FROM that environment. -DanRead full review
This movie is what it is...A movie about blood diamonds. It tells a story of the people of Africa, literally, going to WAR over diamonds. They were killing each other just for a small rock!! It was disgusting. They were recruiting little kids, after taking them from their families, as army war soldiers. They put guns in the hands of children who barely could read. I loved the concept of the movie but I did not give it an excellent rating because the concept of blood diamonds took another turn. The movie changed into a man trying to recover his son, who had be kidnapped and recruited into one of these war camps that I mentioned earlier. This twist, slowed the theme down a taste and made me lose a little interest. I was still a good movie though..
Set in war-torn Sierra Leone, during their most recent Civil War, the movie follows diamond smuggling as that deals in conflict diamonds and toils with human morality. It also show's the tragedy of WAR and its testament to how "BLOOD DIAMOND" are used in the Corporate World today. It is very sad to see how a country uses it children and destroys families for the lust of money. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou offer amazing performances and Leonardo offers one of his best acting roles to date. The cinematography of this film show off some of the most beautiful scenes of Africa. The film is very graphic and bloody, I wouldn't recommend it to the timid or children, but I believe that everyone should eventually see this movie. The story it tells is needed to be seen but all, and we don't need to purchase any DIAMONDS today, since we really don't know were they really came from. A must see and own movie, don't pass it up. If you found this to be helpful please vote !!!!Read full review
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