Blood Diamond

Do not be fooled by the long exposition into an important and dangerous topic. What will follow is worth it. Edward Zwick proves that "The Last Samurai" was not just a coincidence. The harsh scenes of the ruthless R.U.F. group, Djimon Hounsou's breathtaking determination, and the uninterrupted tender love story symbolizing undying hope. Additionally, DiCaprio, as Danny Archer, is a properly angry Rambo, and the scene where he wades through muddy water in the camp amidst explosions and bullet salvos is an unexpected action thriller. Give "Blood Diamond" a chance, no matter what you think about the subject and genre. And it will hurt for Africa. (12/09/2007)

The typical Hollywood sterile spectacle playing at being something more, which is spoiled by the dopey producer moves like African natives speaking English to each other, or off-screen killing. Worth mentioning are DiCaprio's fancy accent and some action scenes, but the whole thing is ruined by a disgustingly pathetic ending, which has simply always been Zwick's problem. (12/09/2008)

Here, the current trends of an indictment of crooked deals with ostentatious goals, preferably set in Africa's own blood-plagued landscape, is blended into a reasonably intelligent spectacle that doesn't have the heavy-handedness of Hotel Rwanda, nor is it as uncompromising as The Constant Gardener. Nonetheless, it is fantastically shot (the run through the streets, or the final purge, are among the action highlights of the year) and still sensitive to the subject matter despite its more mainstream conception, and the acting is also very vital. This relates to more than DiCaprio, from whom it's kind of expected, but from the phenomenal Djimon Hounsou, with whom the viewer shares a plethora of emotions ranging from sadness to laughter to fierce anger. It is he who carries the film and without him, this perfectly polished piece of work would be only half as good. (25/02/2007)

A winning combination of social drama and action/adventure. Bleak scenes of violence are insterspersed with gripping action, which is tempered by intimate dialogue – and this pattern is repeated over and over again, which unfortunately makes Blood Diamond seem drawn-out and repetitive in places. In the end, however, it is still a respectable example of first-rate Hollywood filmmaking, like almost everything else by Edward Zwick. And that is thanks to the beautiful visual aspect, the attractive setting, great actors and a lot of very powerful scenes, especially the last one. (21/01/2007)

As far as the plot structure is concerned, it is meticulously constructed, smart, and sufficiently action-packed – Edward Zwick handles these combinations perfectly, see The Last Samurai – and it captivates not only with refined the visuals and the excellent intensity of the action scenes, but also with top-notch performances, which is very unusual in, let's say, a slightly adventurous film. The action is sometimes quite confusing, but with its grandeur and gripping rawness, it will surely get the blood flowing for most mainstream-minded viewers. There's nothing complicated about it, politics are only briefly outlined, so as not to interfere too much with the story of an (un)redeemable smuggler and a caring father. The best part of the whole film is the relationship between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly – I haven't seen anything so suggestive in a long time. (12/06/2007)