Blood Diamond

Eine gelungene Kombination aus einem sozialen Drama und einem Actionabenteuer. Ein Wechsel von beklemmenden Szenen mit Gewalt und fesselnden Actionszenen, zwischendurch beruhigende Dialoge – und dieses Muster wiederholt sich ständig. Deshalb wirkt leider Blood Diamond manchmal langwierig und repetitiv. Im Endeffekt ist es aber trotzdem ein würdiger Repräsentant der erstklassigen Hollywood-Filmarbeit, wie fast alles von Edward Zwick. Das hat der Film der schönen visuellen Seite, dem attraktiven Milieu, den ausgezeichneten Schauspielerinnen und Schauspielern sowie den wirklich starken Szenen zu verdanken. Vor allem der letzten Szene. (21.01.2007)

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 :) (24.01.2007)

Here, the current trends of an indictment of crooked deals with ostentatious goals, preferably set in Africa's own blood-plagued landscape, is blended into a reasonably intelligent spectacle that doesn't have the heavy-handedness of Hotel Rwanda, nor is it as uncompromising as The Constant Gardener. Nonetheless, it is fantastically shot (the run through the streets, or the final purge, are among the action highlights of the year) and still sensitive to the subject matter despite its more mainstream conception, and the acting is also very vital. This relates to more than DiCaprio, from whom it's kind of expected, but from the phenomenal Djimon Hounsou, with whom the viewer shares a plethora of emotions ranging from sadness to laughter to fierce anger. It is he who carries the film and without him, this perfectly polished piece of work would be only half as good. (25.02.2007)

The epic production design, brilliant technical side and the suitably booming soundtrack by James Newton Howard are the indisputable pluses here. The makers achieve the almost impossible for most of the movie, successfully balancing on the edge between an adventure movie in Romancing the Stone style, while also having enough time to highlight the problems in Sierra Leone, and perhaps most of the African continent. The action scenes are intense, and the dramatic storyline has balls. What prevents Blood Diamond from getting a better score is the closing quarter hour where the hitherto well-constructed characters turn into one-dimensional cutouts. Everything ends up as expected and we even get a moral at the end for those who managed not to understand what Zwick is saying the whole time using “movie language". An ending like that might be okay for family viewing, but in a politically engaged movie this is absolutely at odds with the rest of it. And that is doubly disappointing in a movie of this quality. (25.01.2007)

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. (12.09.2007)

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%. (08.04.2010)

Visually refined viewing that is intended to provoke that proverbial chill down your spine. Unfortunately, just showing is no longer enough these days, so no chilled spine. It needs more. The trailers were much better at it (I would even place one of them in my golden trailer fund). Even so, Zwick did a perfect job. It’s been a long time since I saw such wonderfully filmed scenery (locations, landscapes). In terms of acting, hats off to the great Hounsou, the gorgeous Jennifer Connelly and especially to DiCaprio who very pleasantly surprised me. So that’s a solid 4 stars and if Edward Zwick intends to continue in this direction, I’ll make very sure I don’t miss his pictures. (03.07.2007)

As far as the plot structure is concerned, it is meticulously constructed, smart, and sufficiently action-packed – Edward Zwick handles these combinations perfectly, see The Last Samurai – and it captivates not only with refined the visuals and the excellent intensity of the action scenes, but also with top-notch performances, which is very unusual in, let's say, a slightly adventurous film. The action is sometimes quite confusing, but with its grandeur and gripping rawness, it will surely get the blood flowing for most mainstream-minded viewers. There's nothing complicated about it, politics are only briefly outlined, so as not to interfere too much with the story of an (un)redeemable smuggler and a caring father. The best part of the whole film is the relationship between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly – I haven't seen anything so suggestive in a long time. (12.06.2007)

Hotel Rwanda meets John Rambo :) Exactly one of those Hollywood films that fascinates me with their courage to combine so many clichés and hundreds of times-worn plot structures into an idea, exterior and narrative so vast, exotic and heavyweight. Zwick is a true visual craftsman and a master at building moving human stories, and his cinematic excursion into a dark background of cruelty and moral misery offers, formally speaking, exactly what we would expect from a first-rate overseas filmmaker: a lot of authentic battle scenes, lots of emotionally powerful moments, even more dramatic camera rides and shots of majestic scenery, and finally, plenty of supporting motifs and "wannabe smart" dialogues that already foreshadow something wicked inside the engrossing high-budget tinsel. The story is simple and more or less unrealistic, based on the heroic heroism and eternal happiness of the protagonists or on methodically repeated sequences of bloody action and quieter, ostentatiously humanistic or blandly romantic parts, which often unnecessarily stretch out the runtime and somehow seem contrasting and insignificant. It’s a shame that a project so masterfully written and acted, impressively reflecting the horror and physical hopelessness of its world, ends with a pathetic final applause and a simply depicted happy ending. But that doesn't change the fact that Blood Diamond is a really, really incredibly compelling, honest and unrelenting cinematic adventure, with a slightly more sophisticated one-of-a-kind script. 80% (17.04.2016)

Ich weiß nichts über die jetzigen und früheren Ereignisse in Sierra Leone, deshalb kann ich die historische Glaubwürdigkeit nicht beurteilen. Ich nehme aus diesem Film jedoch drei wichtige Erkenntnisse mit - 1) Ich bin froh, und zwar echt, in Mitteleuropa geboren worden zu sein. 2) Unter keinen Umständen wird mich jemand nach Sierra Leone bekommen, auch wenn dort Frieden herrschen sollte. 3) Ganz sicher werde ich mir weitere Informationen und Interessantes über Sierra Leone anlesen. Blood Diamant hat in mir keine weiteren Emotionen hervorgerufen. Die erste Hälfte erschien mir noch recht gut, doch die zweite ist schon sehr amerikanisch, durchzogen von vielen Klischees, unglaubwürdig, sehr schwach in den Dialogen, wo Solomon fast sophistiziert über die Lage in Sierra Leone spricht und gleichzeitig kindlich naiv von seinem Sohn schwärmt, dass er einmal Arzt wird. Das abschließende Telefonat ist Trash schwersten Kalibers, die Typen mit den Maschinengewehren würden sicher warten, bis Danny mit der Fotografin fertig telefoniert hätte. Und Standing Ovations, ohne diese wäre es wohl kein amerikanischer Film. Vor einer Weile habe ich in den Trivia gelesen, dass die Figur des Danny ursprünglich Russel Crowe spielen sollte, dann hätte der Film vielleicht eine andere Ladung. Das ist ein Rohling durch und durch. Leonardo eignet sich eher für die Titanic, Romeo und Julia oder The Beach. (28.08.2008)

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. (12.09.2008)

I know that I have almost seen this movie at least three times, some scenes even came to my mind, they seemed familiar when I saw them again and I am sure that I didn't just imagine it, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why I never actually finished watching the film, or why I ran away from it. It is definitely a movie worth watching because it draws attention to an issue that still exists and even though it may seem terribly distant to us, it should be addressed by countries that are quite far from it and have the resources to actually solve such problems. Yes, the Czech Republic certainly can't do anything and individuals even less so. Mainly because most of us don't even attempt to do so. I consider myself one of those and I'm not saying this because I want to confess, it's just how it is. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/03/krvavy-diamant-2006-70.html (10.04.2013)