Blood Diamond

Yes, Blood Diamond can be criticized for a certain sentimentality, which stands out especially during the death of one of the characters, and overall a slightly Hollywood-tinted script, which caters to an American moralistic and positive view of the world. However, it is top-notch directorial craftsmanship with plenty of quality performances, a story set in a realistic environment, and a rarely functional combination of political themes that reveals a burning issue of the present, with a quality adventure story. If a tragicomic mishmash like Rambo has almost the same rating, while the difference in quality is like that between a grain of sand and the Sahara, then I have no choice but to give Blood Diamond five stars. If the adventure and action genre were always represented by such high-quality films as this one, then I would have no problem with it. The fight scenes, whether in the jungle or especially during the siege of the capital, are among the best I have seen in the relevant genre in recent months. Overall impression: 90%. (04/08/2010)

The typical Hollywood sterile spectacle playing at being something more, which is spoiled by the dopey producer moves like African natives speaking English to each other, or off-screen killing. Worth mentioning are DiCaprio's fancy accent and some action scenes, but the whole thing is ruined by a disgustingly pathetic ending, which has simply always been Zwick's problem. (09/12/2008)

Do not be fooled by the long exposition into an important and dangerous topic. What will follow is worth it. Edward Zwick proves that "The Last Samurai" was not just a coincidence. The harsh scenes of the ruthless R.U.F. group, Djimon Hounsou's breathtaking determination, and the uninterrupted tender love story symbolizing undying hope. Additionally, DiCaprio, as Danny Archer, is a properly angry Rambo, and the scene where he wades through muddy water in the camp amidst explosions and bullet salvos is an unexpected action thriller. Give "Blood Diamond" a chance, no matter what you think about the subject and genre. And it will hurt for Africa. (09/12/2007)

A winning combination of social drama and action/adventure. Bleak scenes of violence are insterspersed with gripping action, which is tempered by intimate dialogue – and this pattern is repeated over and over again, which unfortunately makes Blood Diamond seem drawn-out and repetitive in places. In the end, however, it is still a respectable example of first-rate Hollywood filmmaking, like almost everything else by Edward Zwick. And that is thanks to the beautiful visual aspect, the attractive setting, great actors and a lot of very powerful scenes, especially the last one. (01/21/2007)

Visually, there is nothing to complain about. Every dollar of the 100 million budget is visible in the generous production design, Zwick is very good at action scenes, the two key ones, the massacre in Freetown and the attack on the RUF camp, are examples of great filmmaking. But the film fails in the story, which is an amalgamation of a poor attempt at some kind of overarching idea pointing out the pains of contemporary Africa, and a completely bland plot. It’s written according to the tried-and-tested formula of mainstream Hollywood productions, with a predictable plot and a lot of clichés, including a cheesy final phone call that definitely left my eyes dry. This is also because the script gives very little space to the emotional tension between Archer and Maddy, whose tears – thrill me, kill me – I simply didn't believe, and even the strong scenes (the training of small RUF adepts) get completely lost among the plot ballast. There was no deep lasting experience, only "watch it and forget after a while". Otherwise, Djimon Hounson's expressive performance was once again a pleasure, DiCaprio has finally manned up and stole some scenes (I could feel his suppressed anger at Hounson during a great scene with a hunted baboon) and his work with a machine gun during the attack on the RUF camp would be appreciated even by John Rambo :) (01/24/2007)