Life's Happenings: Blood Diamond

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Blood Diamond - movie review

Blood Diamond - starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Arnold Vosloo & Michael Sheen. When I read how this movie has stirred some controversies and protest from African nations it got me to get this movie. The movie doesn't tell you about the diamond industry in the African continent but a similar tale that could happen in any of those African nations. Why the name Blood Diamond - it's where human blood are sacrificed in order to get your hands on those diamonds which have been extracted illegally with brutal slavery as well.

Leonardo acted as a scrupulous diamond dealer from South Africa that went into Sierra Leone. He happened to hear about rare diamonds found at a certain riverbed and got hold of a local guy who was forced by illegal miners to mine at that area. A lady reported bumped into their illegal venture and love blossomed too between her and Leonardo.

In the midst of a civil war commotion, they risked their lives to mine and cover the story respectively. The local guy did it to save his family by getting them out from the country. Leonardo did it due to his hunger for a bigger stone. The reported was there due to her passion for her work. A remarkable story and though each movie may exaggerate certain part of the story, it's still a prevalent situation in Democratic Republic of Congo where illegal mining of diamonds fund conflicts in DR Congo. It's where 1,000 people die everyday fueled by diamond smuggling.

In the early days of 1990s, different factions in countries like Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo (also known as Congo Brazzaville) were funded by diamonds being sold to the world even though the mining process of brutal slavery. In a way, the world was funding the civil wars in those countries listed as above.

You can play a part too to help the situation in Africa as in before buying diamonds consumers should ask retailers for their policies on conflict diamonds and for certification that their diamonds were mined and sold legitimately.