An Analysis of the Movie, Blood Diamond

The movie "Blood Diamond" was released in 2006 and featured Leonardo Di Caprio as an arms smuggler whose main goal is to obtain a seemingly priceless diamond from a villager during the civil war in Sierra Leone. The film, although it has been called mild in comparison to reality, depicts the brutality that inhabitants of diamond villages were subjected to. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won numerous other awards.

The film marker is trying to raise awareness of the illicit conflict diamond trade and reinforcing the Kimberley process1 and showing how it will stem the flow of conflict diamonds. This is successful mainly due to the public outburst after the movie. The great impact of the movie has caused diamond companies like De Beers2 to start a pre-emptive PR (public relationship) campaign, even before the movie was released to inform people that their diamonds are conflict-free.

The director serves to put RUF3 in bad light and condemning them of their actions. He wants to give the audience the perception that RUF is a terrorist group, by showing their acts of violence and brutality. For example, one scene depicted a slave who was killed by Colonel Poison of RUF for stealing one of his diamonds. The RUF wrongly justify the killing by saying that they are the ones who grant them freedom from colonialism (from the whites) and thus the people should support their actions by helping them to mine for diamonds. Hence, he hopes that no one will support RUF by deeming the group as morally and socially unjustifiable. Perhaps he should show some scene in the movie of RUF forces rescuing the people from captivity, poverty and hunger. This makes the movie neutral for better conclusions to be made about the RUF. ...

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...l the flow of conflict diamonds. Both assure consumers that more than 99% of rough stones today come from conflict-free sources which are regulated by the Kimberley process. According to the people who profited from diamonds, the blood diamonds problem is passé5. Further research tells us that it is not. According to Father Rocco Puopolo of the Africa Faith and Justice Network, he says “It’s not passé,” “the diamond industry can claim what they want and the film will always serve as a template for what is going on in Africa today.” This point out that labour exploitation and conflict (for control of precious resources such as gold) may still be going on in Africa.

Be it diamonds, gold or any valuable resource, conflicts will continue to rear its face on this Earth due to the insatiable greed of humans. We must be contented or we are preparing for an Armageddon.