by Josh Hatcher

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

It's not often that I like movies with an agenda. Socially Conscious movies are usually thin on plot and heavy on guilt. But with Blood Diamond, I felt myself wantng to be a better person, wanting to make a difference in the world.

The movie follows the life of Danny Archer, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, an African-born diamond smuggler with a checkered past as a mercenary, and his quest to recover a large pink diamond.

Archer's story runs parallel to the story of Solomon Vandy, played by Djimon Hounsou. Vandy is an honest fisherman who is conscripted to work in the diamond mines in Sierra Leone.

The country is torn by civil war, and the rebel army, consistent of mostly young children abducted and forced to kill and fight, is armed by the American diamond industry, despite global restrictions on diamonds from conflict zones.

The story is beautiful and gritty at the same time, as Archer's desire to escape the harshness of the continent, his mercenary nature, and a desire to be a good person collide head-on.

Solomon Vandy is a man whose integrity and his family are the most important thing to him in the entire world, and as his young son is abducted and brainwashed into the rebel army, his motivation is clear, and one that anyone could understand.

The movie's cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the beauty of the African landscape, and the horror of war.

The movie does slow down about one quarter of the way through, as it takes more time to do character development, which might seem a bit sluggish, but is vital to the direction of the story.n

The moment Leonardo DiCaprio started talking with his South African "Krio" accent, I thought for sure the movie was going to be horrible, only because actors speaking in an accent other than their own are usually unconvincing. DiCaprio pulled it off, though, and I was actually impressed with his performance. It was believable and seemed heartfelt and honest.

One scene in the movie finds a man telling Archer, as they discuss whether man is good or evil, "A moment of love, even in a bad man, can bring meaning to a life."

Later that night, Archer tells a journalist about the pain in his life, and he says, "Sometimes I wonder will God ever forgive us for what we have done to each other? Then I look around and I realize, God left this place a long time ago." The quote couples well with the acronym "TIA", that the Africans use to describe their plight. (This Is Africa)

Blood Diamond is rated R for good reason. Excessive use of the "F" word, and some graphic war violence is not friendly for children, but tolerable for adults. I don't usually mind language or violence in movies when it is natural to the context of the story, rather than just thrown in for the fun of it.

The movie's agenda shines through- to expose the horrors of child soldiers, and to show that the cost of the engagement ring might be more than just three months salary. It is not, however, the kind of movie meant to make you feel guilty. It's meant to propel us to a higher social consciousness, but not to make you feel bad that the only news of 1999 that you knew about was Monica Lewinsky.

As usual, the DVD has very few special features, which Is disappointing. A documentary on the diamond trade would have been a great follow up to go along with the movie.

All in all, I say the movie is definitely a "Buy" flick. It's worth watching a few times.

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