Blood Diamond (2006)

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

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

Charles Leavitt (screenplay), Charles Leavitt (story),

Stars:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly

Top 250 #249 | Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Guma Mbaho Mwine	...	M'Ed (as Ntare Mwine)

Storyline

A story following Archer, a man tortured by his roots. With a strong survival instinct, he has made himself a key player in the business of conflict diamonds. Political unrest is rampant in Sierra Leone as people fight tooth for tooth. Upon meeting Solomon, and the beautiful Maddy, Archer's life changes forever as he is given a chance to make peace with the war around him.

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Plot Keywords:

diamond | rebel | fisherman | sierra leone | smuggler | 

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Taglines:

From the director of "Glory" and "The Last Samurai"

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros [France]

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English Mende Afrikaans

Release Date:

8 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le diamant de sang

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,471,104 (UK) (26 January 2007)

Gross:

$57,366,262 (USA) (6 April 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Virtual Studios, Spring Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

The GPS coordinates of the rebel camp that Danny Archer gave when he called in the air strike puts the camp somewhere in the southeastern Sudan, near the Ethiopian border - on the other side of the African continent from Sierra Leone.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in 20 to 1: Child Stars: Where Are They Now? (2008)

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Soundtracks

Solemn Prayer
Written and Performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan appears courtesy of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Estate

User Reviews

Diamonds, Nerve And Indifference

The torturous road of South African diamonds to the greedy fingers of an indifferent world makes this new Edward Zwick movie one of the most powerful Action/Adventure/Dramas to come out of Hollywood in a long time. The perfect balance between entertainment and a thoughtful social commentary helps the center of the story to have a real heart and a palpable respect for us, the audience. All this praise and I still have not mentioned Leonardo Di Caprio or Djimon Hounsou but I'm going to. Di Caprio opens a new door, introducing us to a character who is a first in his already extraordinary career. He startled us as a very young man with "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" before he fell with a serious case of Titanictis. Now, after a three a long and serious Scorsese cures, this spectacular actor makes me believe that we haven't seen anything yet. Remarkable. As remarkable as the soulful Djimon Hounsou who manages to give the film a visible soul. I was moved and yes, I must admit, surprised. Apart from the visual and interpretative prowess of "Blood Diamond" there is a realistic view of a third world country as shattering as the unforgettable one in "City Of God" Don't miss it.