An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsoue). 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 .. Read more
| Starring | Basil Wallace, Jennifer Connelly, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Sheen |
|---|---|
| Director | Edward Zwick |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller |
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An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsoue). 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 swathe of torture and bloodshed across the alternatively beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.
| Starring | Basil Wallace, Jennifer Connelly, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Sheen, Jimi Mistry, Djimon Hounsou |
|---|---|
| Director | Edward Zwick |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 18 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 18 mins HD DVD: 2 hrs 18 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English HD DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English, Arabic, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian HD DVD: English, French, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 18 Jun 2007 Blu-ray: 18 Jun 2007 HD DVD: 09 Jul 2007 Production year: 2006 |
| Format | DVD |
It is clear that the film-makers have done an enormous amount of research on their subject... Individual sequences--such as the massacre that opens the movie--are staged in bravura but chilling fashion
Crammed full of exhilarating set-pieces and panoramic photography, it also included the DiCaprio role most likely to snag Best Actor...
So many gushing reviews, such an important subject, and what a godawful movie.
As others have remarked, Leo - whatever his acting skill, and whatever the accent - is completely miscast as a battle-hardened African mercenary. And Jennifer Connelly is every bit as unconvincing and out of place playing a tough magazine journalist.
The script is pure Hollywood. We've seen the structure a thousand times before. When Leo portentously says, 'This is Eff-rica,' early in the film, we all know we're going to hear that line again. And when Arnold Vosloo scoops up a handful of dirt and waxes poetic, you can hear the pay-off coming even with the sound turned down.
And this film is looooonng. When Leo and the Noble Savage start their journey into the heart of Sierra Leone, it feels like it's being shot in real time.
There are some positives. The big-buget pyrotechnics are cool (Hollywood does that sh*t well). And David Harewood leaves nothing behind as the psycho rebel leader.
But however worthy the subject matter, this a predictable and over-praised piece of Tinseltown pap.
Hmmm, normally a fan of Leonardo, but people putting on pseudo seff effrikaan accents is always dicey and this is no exception. It's not a dreadful film, but it certainly not a brilliant one either and, as one other reviewer put it, parts of the film are soooo drawn out that it may as well be running in real time. So, if you're planning to watch this, dont have any other plans for the day because you're in for a long ride...and of questionable benefit.
We caught up with actor David Harewood, to talk about his role in Oscar-nominated drama Blood Diamond. LOVEFiLM: How did you get involved in the production? David Harewood: Well, I auditioned for Edward Zwick [the director] in London, he didn't tell me then that he has seen me on stage at the National Theatre, and had requested me. The part of Captain Poison was originally supposed to be a boy solider, but they couldn't find anyone with the weight they needed, and as the script kept changing,... Read more