Blood Diamond : Why Fiction is More Effective Than the Facts

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Recommended: Analysis of the movie Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond: Why Fiction is More Effective Than the Facts

When watching a movie that is allegedly based on a true story, it may not occur to some viewers that the movie does not necessarily represent the complete and absolute truth. The movie Blood Diamond was inspired by the true story of how the illegal sale of smuggled diamonds helped fuel the 1991 to 2000 civil war in Sierra Leone (“Sierra Leone”). In an interview with Foreign Policy Magazine, Edward Zwick, director of Blood Diamond, admits that “my first goal was to make a good movie, one that fulfills the obligations of any story, which has to do with characters and drama.” It is true that Blood Diamond uses glamorized fiction to cover up and sweeten the horrible truths for its audience, but what matters is how effectively the movie makes an emotional connection with its viewers. Hollywood filmmakers know what the majority of their audience expects: glamour and excitement throughout the film and a dramatic and emotionally satisfying ending. If it is to satisfy the expectations of this audience, and the expectations of the filmmaker and his backers to make a lot of money, the movie—at least this particular movie—cannot be a totally accurate and graphic depiction of what really happens with blood diamonds and their role in Sierra Leone’s civil war, because what really happens would not sell as well as the fiction. In the case of Blood Diamond, while it is important to look at the factual accuracy or inaccuracy of the what the characters represent, what matters more is why the fiction is more effective than the truth when it comes to getting the audience emotionally involved.

Effective manipulation of the audience’s feelings through fiction may make the sympathet...

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...58260>.

“How to Buy: Diamond Facts.” A Diamond is Forever. De Beers Diamond Company. 18 November 2007. .

“Lovette Freeman: A Personal History.” September 2006. Online video clip. The History Channel. 18 November 2007. .

“Seven Questions: A Chat with Blood Diamond Director Ed Zwick.” Foreign Policy Magazine December 2006. 18 November 2007. .

“Sierra Leone Civil War.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 17 August 2005. Wikimedia Foundation. 18 November 2007. .

Voeten, Teun. How De Body?: One Man’s Terrifying Journey Through an African War. Amsterdam: St. Marin Press, 2000.

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