Blood Diamond (2006)

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers (WGA):

Charles Leavitt (screenplay)
Charles Leavitt (story) ...

Release Date:

8 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Freedom

Plot:

A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.

Plot Keywords:

Village Set On Fire | Guinea | Children | Kidnapping | Exploding Car

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 14 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 18	11:00 PM	HBO
Sat. July 26	10:45 PM	HBO

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Danny Archer
Djimon Hounsou	...	Solomon Vandy
Jennifer Connelly	...	Maddy Bowen
Kagiso Kuypers	...	Dia Vandy
Arnold Vosloo	...	Colonel Coetzee
Antony Coleman	...	Cordell Brown
Benu Mabhena	...	Jassie Vandy
Anointing Lukola	...	N'Yanda Vandy
David Harewood	...	Captain Poison
Basil Wallace	...	Benjamin Kapanay
Jimi Mistry	...	Nabil
Michael Sheen	...	Rupert Simmons
Marius Weyers	...	Rudolf Van De Kaap
Stephen Collins	...	Ambassador Walker
Ntare Mwine	...	M'Ed

Also Known As:

Blood Diamond (Germany)
Okavango (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

Mende | English | Afrikaans

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | Greece:K-13 | Australia:MA | France:-12 | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Brazil:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:16 (bw) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | USA:R (certificate #43118) | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The pistol Danny Archer uses towards the end of the film is a Heckler & Koch USP.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene in Kono, one of the child soldiers is seen with a Game Boy Advance SP, which was released in 2003.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Solomon Vandy: Dia. Dia. Don't want to be late.
Dia Vandy: English boys don't go to school every day.

Movie Connections:

References "Baywatch" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Joyous Prayer

Blood Brothers

What does it take to turn someone into a killer? The answer is different for each character involved in this movie. For some it is survival. For others it is the hope of escape from a life of hell. For some it is family. For others it is greed. Caught in the middle of it all are the children who have such little desire to kill for any reason that they must be brainwashed into becoming the instruments of their masters who claim to offer freedom.

Every few years an action movie comes along that has amazing depth. Terminator 2 and The Matrix are such movies, and so is Blood Diamond. It is full of characterizations we've seen before, but it's the interaction that raises this film above the masses. Each character has an agenda that forces him or her to distrust everyone else. The paths that some relationships take to develop trust are believable, while others are equally believable in remaining eternally antagonistic. And through it all is the realization that while some characters may change their methodology and morals, none ever change their dreams. Each character fights for the goal to the bitter end. Such is human nature, and such is the conflict of Blood Diamond, the conflict of Africa. In the end, we are left to wonder if peace can ever be attained in such a world. And somehow we are left believing that maybe it can.