Blood Diamond

Zwick's film exposes some of the most disturbing practices associated with greed and war.

Blood Diamond offers a fascinating window into the realm of bush rebels and corrupt governments dealing in 'conflict diamonds,' a practice which still occurs in some African nations. This is the world of illicit trade and the fake certification of gems which has led to civil wars that have uprooted millions, killed hundreds of thousands, torn apart families and robbed children of their youth as they are indoctrinated and forced to become soldiers. This was how Charles 'Pappy' Taylor mismanaged his nation as he sat at the helm of Liberia's kleptocracy.

Leonardo Di Caprio's portrayal of Danny Archer, a cutthroat 'Rhodesian' smuggler desperate for the great prize, is surprisingly believable, abrasive accent and all. His co-star, however, former Parisian model, Djimon Hounsou from Benin, delivers the movie's most compelling performance as Solomon Vandy, a simple African fisherman in search of his abducted son. Vandy is a constant reminder of the plight suffered by innocent Africans who are displaced and dispossessed because of the blind gluttony of immoral commerce.

The horrors of war

Director Edward Zwick and his crew have captured the verisimilitude of swelling refugee camps, the darkness of the bush and the unpredictability of rebel and military onslaughts against the sanguine canvas of civil war. The recreation of the madness and despair of warfare is as impressive as scenes from Hotel Rwanda and the forgettable film, Harrison's Flowers, starring Adrian Brody and Andy McDowell set in war-torn Yugoslavia. For anyone lacking the imagination to consider what millions of Africans have had to endure, this film would serve as a plausible seed to plant in any fertile mind. Although the moral is somewhat predictable and the subplot a little too sugary, it is an important movie that exposes some of Africa's grimmest realities.