Guest Blogger: Danh V1

Blood Diamond is a gritty action drama that depicts the situations within West Africa where civil wars are ravaging the land and diamond trades that fuel the conflicts. The plot focuses on the life of Solomon Vandy (Dijimon Hounsou), a fisherman from a rural Sierra Leone village crossing path with the mercenary/smuggler named Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio). After losing his son to the rebels, Solomon stumbled onto a rare pink diamond which caught the attention of Archer. This event leads the two on a journey to find Solomon’s son, but also to uncover the pink diamond which Archer is after. While Hounsou and DiCaprio role as their character is played out perfectly, Maddy Bowen played by Jenifer Connelly is somewhat questionable. She seems disillusioned by what is going on around her and tries to make a difference by being a journalist. Her appearance in the movie is not necessary due to the fact that she does not alter the story line much, even though she is Archer’s love interests. The character that is most dynamic is Danny Archer; he was born and lived a life of violence where killing for money is the only thing he knows. After seeing Solomon and his son, Archer seems to change his views on life and any more details would ruin this experience for those who have never seen this movie. During the course of the movie, the question “Will God ever forgive us for what we’ve done to each other?” is repeated many times. This is the central theme of the movie, and it is on that Archer will find out for himself. According to Roger Ebert, Leonardo DiCaprio played an extraordinary role as Danny Archer, capturing his personalities and expressions. I could not have agreed more with Ebert, DiCaprio did so well that every time I see him on TV, I would automatically see Danny Archer. Overall, this is a movie that you must see, it is an aspiring story with memorable characters; it is a must see.