Blood Diamond Review by Gunnar Flavell

This film relates to A long Way Gone by showing the viewer the fear and suffering that are relative between the two titles.  Visually seeing these events take place help us better understand the pain, fear, and corruptness involved in the lives of the characters.  One important part that really stuck out to me right from the beginning was that they spared Solomon’s life and that the guy who was yelling at him in the jail for stealing the diamond would probably reappear with some conflict involved later on in the film.  We also recognize  how the rebels are brainwashing the child soldiers just like the book A Long Way Gone offering them whatever materialistic things they could want like drugs, alcohol, guns, food, and protection.  By doing this they are taking advantage of the children’s innocence and immaturity to use them like robots, programming them for destruction and not a future like children should be raised.  

As the film goes on we witness a lot of mixed emotions between all three characters as they all try to reach their goal.  It also shows a relationship between Danny and Maddie that is quite sexual in a way and really gives off that vibe.  When the end of the movie comes it ends of course with the diamond being retrieved and of course Maddie getting her great story and of course Leonardo DiCaprio still not receiving an Emmy award. I really enjoyed the film and thought the acting and plot were fantastic.