Blood Diamonds Movie Review

Against my better judgment, my wife and I attended another one of Hollywood's attempts to coerce public opinion on their latest target. Blood Diamonds, the saga surrounding the moral challenge of the international gem trade. Based in Sierra Leone, Africa, in 1999, it depicts the story of two mercenaries fighting to locate a rare blood diamond the size of a golf ball. The local region, engulfed in a civil war between the government and the RUF (Revolutionary United Front), is a backdrop for indiscriminate torture and murder, all propagated by the illegal diamond market. This is the premise for the movie.

The story line aside, Hollywood, or most notably the director, Edward Zwick, is attempting to demonstrate to audiences that within humanity there is moral fiber above the greed of monetary gain. In order to substantiate his claim, Zwick is weaving a portrait depicting the methods in which these stones are attained. Wrapping all the bloodshed and pain into one neat package, presented for the rest of Hollywood's elite to wallow in. They will in turn rally by his side, proclaiming that they will no longer wear diamonds, along with the previously banished furs and animal vivisection.

This is a powerful message, sent to an audience of millions, which has monetary and socio-political implications worldwide. Unlike the cave painters of Lascaux or the hieroglyphic pictographs of Mesopotamia, this message will be heard by many, not just idle passersby. This new art form, the Hollywood movie, compared to methods used in the past to depict the message of its author, is dynamic in its theme and presentation. Never before has there been such a way to convey the aspect of human emotion; all previous attempts seem mono-dimensional at best. The new multi-dimensional aspects of film, allow the audience to see facial expression and hear vocal conversation; all while being surrounded by the interactions of the world around them. If the humanistic tradition is our cultural legacy as professed by Fiero (2006), then the teachings learned by the movie Blood Diamonds falls far short of the mark. Even with all the technological advances available, I found myself walking out of the theatre wondering if the movie's message was really to bring attention to a graphic injustice or just to sell tickets by showcasing the pain of others.

As the movie credits rolled by, the screen stopped on a statement, blazon in bold print, stating "ensure