Blood Diamond (2006)

"Blood Diamond" - I'm sure lots of you have seen it or read about it, very long back itself. But now only, I got the opportunity to watch this wonderful movie thro’ HBO :-). Just thought of sharing my views on the movie….

Leonardo Dicaprio as Danny Archer, an professional diamond smuggler who joins with Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou). Vandy was separated from his family and forced to mine for diamonds. After discovering and hiding an exceptionally large diamond, everybody wants a grab him (so they can have the diamond) while he just wants to be reunited with his family. Vandy and Archer agree to help each other get what they're after but they need a little extra help and luckily for them Maddy Bowen(Jennifer Connelly)- a Journalist , who is investigating on the blood diamond industry and is able to get them access to things like helicopters and guns in exchange for the secrets behind the diamond smuggling Industry.

After so many hurdles, Archer unites Vandy and his son, who was abducted and forced into becoming a child soldier of a terrorist group; and he gets the hidden diamond from Vandy, in return. while rescuing Vandy's son, Archer got shot.Knowing that he is dying, he gives the diamond to Vandy and holds off the soldiers chasing them.Vandy and his son flee.Archer makes a final phone call to Bowen, asking her to help Vandy as a last favor and dying peacefully.

With the help of Bowen, Vandy trades the diamond to Simmons for a large sum of money and the reunification of his family, making the exchange as Vandy's wife and children deplane from a Lear Jet at a London airport. Bowen, who secretly photographs the deal, later publishes a magazine piece exposing the trade in "conflict" or "blood" diamonds.

The film ends with Solomon smiling at the photograph Bowen took of Archer earlier, now published in her magazine along with the complete story of their journey, before addressing a conference on blood diamonds in Kimberley, South Africa, describing his experiences. This refers to an actual meeting that took place in Kimberley in 2000 and led to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade in conflict diamonds.

Set against the backdrop of a Sierra Leone torn apart by civil war, it's a story aiming to depress viewers into never buying diamonds again. It's on the face of Djimon Hounsou, playing the role of a person whose life truly is effected by the events depicted in this film that we almost get that revelatory moment. The scenes between him and his son are really very powerful. I’m almost speechless at the end of the movie.

Blood Diamond, definitely one of the best films in my memory.

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Pon Paulraj