Blood Diamond (DVD)

Director Edward Zwick has wisely raised this enjoyable though violent action drama several notches above being “just another contemporary African civil-war picture.” It received five Oscar nominations – including Leonardo DiCaprio in the Best Actor category.

During the Sierra Leone civil war in 1999, fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) is captured by rebels and enslaved to work in the diamond mines. He discovers a large, pink diamond – which he hides moments before Government troops move in and he is thrown into jail. There he encounters former Rhodesian mercenary Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is now a reckless diamond smuggler. In the meantime his young son Dia has been kidnapped by the RUF, and conscripted into becoming a child soldier.

Vandy and Archer are both freed by Archer’s contacts. Archer tells Vandy that he will find Vandy’s family…in exchange for the diamond! They meet Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) – a hard headed American journalist who is after a story about the rampant illegal diamond trade – and convince her to help them in their quest.

The few “on location” South African scenes speak volumes for themselves, while the local actors in the cast include Arnold Vosloo and Marius Weyers.

Edward Zwick directs this tale of a prized diamond, the hands through which it passes and the inhumanity that results from man's greed. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a former Zimbabwean mercenary now living in Sierra Leone during the '91-'00 civil war. Archer hears that an imprisoned Mende fisherman, Solomon Vandy (Djimon Honsou), has found and hid a large, pink diamond whilst doing forced labour in the mines the guerrillas are using to fund their war. Vandy has escaped the camp but his son is left behind. Archer has the wherewithal to help him make the perilous return to the camp, though his motives are less honourable than those of the frantic father. An American Journalist Maddy Bowen is sniffing for a story and forms an attachment to Archer, who looks like a story all of his own. She's soon embarked upon the journey with them - her contacts as useful as those of Archer in securing a path through the dangerous terrain of this lawless country. It soon becomes apparent that Archer is not the only one who's heard about this giant pink jewel and the trio is beset by those intent on having it at every turn. Can they reach Vandy's son before the rebels brainwash him and make him yet another boy soldier? Can Maddy convince Archer to do the right thing for the right reason? Is there a heart in Archer's chest?

General

Studio:	Warner Home Video
Country of origin:	Sweden
Release date:	June 2007
Movie released:	2006
Actors:	Leonardo DiCaprio • Djimon Hounsou • Jennifer Connelly • Kasigo Kuypers • Arnold Vosloo • Anthony Coleman • Jimi Mistry • Michael Sheen • Benu Mabhena • Anointing Lukola • David Harewood • Basil Wallace
Contributors:	Charles Leavitt • C. Gaby Mitchell • Gillian Gorfil • Graham King • Darren Roodt • James Newton Howard
Directors:	Edward Zwick
Dimensions:	192 x 137 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:
Region encoding:	Region 2. This DVD will play in all South African DVD players.
Audio format:	Dolby Digital 5.1
Video format:	Widescreen 16:9 (1.78:1)
Languages:	English
Age restriction:	15 LV
Categories:	DVD > Action DVD > Adventure DVD > Drama DVD > Feature Film
LSN:	XJM-YYW-U9M-1
Barcode:	7321902117621

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