Film Review: "Blood Diamond" (2006)

Leonardo Di Caprio stars as a street-wise South African smuggler in this harrowing look at the commodification of the world's diamond trade. Set against the backdrop of late 1990s Sierra Leone, which was torn apart in a civil war involving child soldiers, cold militiamen and corrupt armies, it's a hard expose of how the superficiality of some sectors of Western society contribute to misery through a combination of apathy and ostentatiousness. No finger-wagging here, though; this is not a preachy, cliched, guilt-ridden piece of work but is rather along the lines of "Hotel Rwanda" in that it allows the viewer to see things from a number of perspectives and come away with a deeper overall awareness of the issue - along with, in this case, a healthy sense of disgust for those who determine one's worth, in whole or in part, by the bling factor.

Well-shot, excellently acted and mandatory viewing for anyone who considers themselves informed about international affairs.

Overall rating: 8.5/10