All that glitters is not gold:Blood diamond

Conflict diamonds or blood diamonds are this treasure trove of goodies that financial
conglomerates have a stake over, after mining it from war-torn African Nations. The
blood-lust of the warlords who annexed the land of the Africans and coerced them to mine
diamonds is exactly the backdrop that inspired the events of the film-Blood Diamond.
The movie is raw, gritty and extremely symbolic of the arms trade fueled in the dark
continent of Africa through the aid of these "blood diamonds." It soon becomes a no-man's
land. Political persecution, shoot on sight, illicit diamond smuggling are recurring motifs in
the film. The story introduces key characters like that of Solomon Vandy(Djimon Honsou)
who is a pauperized fisherman. His family is taken under the refuge of one of the African
Federation. He, being the doting father that he is, sets out to find his family. In this process,
he crosses paths with arms dealer/middleman masquerading as a journalist-Danny
Archer(played by the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio). Danny Archer has one goal in mind. To
retrieve the precious diamond that Solomon has hidden in one of those deep, rugged African
jungles. He offers to find Solomon's family for him in return for the priceless diamond. What
follows is a cat and mouse game of great struggle to establish Africa's gloomy history.
Reality hits hard, so they say. This very movie epitomizes that phrase. The top-notch
performances coupled with a great story to back it up with its star wattage, makes it a
compelling flick.

A cautionary tale that this movie is, do try to understand that this crazy whirlwind journey is
literally what all Africans face on a daily basis, hoping for a silver lining in any form. In this
case, their(Solomon Vandy) savior is none other than Maddy Bowen(Jennifer Conelly) and
Danny Archer. The perpetually crying eyes of Jennifer Conelly seems to portray a journalist
of high professional caliber. This is the crux of the story. Will Solomon find the redemption
that he's looking for? How does this Rhodesian Gunrunner-Danny satiate his greed for the
diamonds? Do conflicts arise(pun intended)? This movie is sure to tug at your heartstrings
with its breathtaking scenery, the power play dynamics in the African hinterland during the
Civil War and it's moving story line.
They were merely mined out of spite. The conflict diamonds were used to finance
insurgencies and warring nations. The workers had their arms severed off so to prevent
them from physically voting for the upcoming elections. These sorry state of affairs are
depicted with a touch of class by Director Edward Zwick's genius.

The heartbreaking journey of the African conflict diamond trade is underrated. Something
that's so raw, powerful and impactful for our economy shouldn't go unnoticed. Next time, just
pay heed to the diamond necklace that you adorn around your neck or any diamond
accessory whatsoever.Visceral, raw and unflinching, It will force you to rethink this bloody history tainted with immense bloodbaths and no regard to human capital and labour. This movie hits the bullseye. It is a must-watch and ought to be on your bucket list. Kudos Edward Zwick, for bringing such a pertinent issue through the art of celluloid . Truly masterful.