'Blood Diamond': A Message in the Rough

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The conflict diamond trade--diamonds illegally traded to finance rebellions and terrorism--has come under international scrutiny of late, due at least in some small measure to the movie Blood Diamond. Set in 1999 Sierra Leone during its brutal civil war , this 2006 film raised the mainstream public's awareness of the problem. And while conflict diamond operations now account for less than 1% of the international diamond business ( by industry estimates), it remains a threat to global stability.

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While Blood Diamond may appear to have "social conscience" written all over it, it's by no means preachy. The illicit diamond trade instead serves as a backdrop for what emerges as a brilliantly executed action thriller threaded with themes of greed, honor and redemption. Produced and directed by Edward Zwick, whose previous credits include Glory and The Last Samauri, Blood Diamond is a relatively straightforward tale told in a circuitous, winding style.

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Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Danny Archer, a Rhodesian mercenary turned diamond smuggler whose whose life becomes inextricably bound with that of Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), as both seek to recover a very large, very valuable, very rare pink diamond. It's an uneasy alliance at best, as their motives for recovering the diamond are at polar extremes--Archer sees the diamond as his ticket out of Africa, while Solomon views it as a means of rescuing his family--particularly his son, who has been brainwashed by the RUF, from the horrors of war.

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It's hardly surprising that both DiCaprio and Hounsou were nominated for Oscars for their performances. Hounsou plays Solomon with an unswerving dignity tempered with quiet desperation, while DiCaprio's portrayal of Archer rivals Bogart's unflinching cynicism in his most memorable roles. .