If you are a nation of black people in plight on celluloid don’t worry, because you can always rely on some sexy Caucasians to save you from yourselves. At least this seems to be the moral of Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond.

In war-torn Sierra Leone, Leonardo DiCaprio plays diamond smuggler Danny Archer, who encounters Solomon (Djimon Hounsou), a miner who finds a rare blood diamond, and whose family has been kidnapped by militia. Eager to help is American journalist, Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly).

Blood Diamond matches up its exotic location (oh adventure!) with hefty doses of action. Think Romancing the Stone against a backdrop of commercial exploitation alternating with sweeping shots of human misery, high-speed car chases and romantic subplots. It finds itself caught between action adventure and political thriller, ultimately failing in each respect.

The realistic presentation of the entire black African population is neglected for the sake of DiCaprio's character development

As in his last film, The Last Samurai, Zwick has Hollywood stars playing mercenaries who are then saved by love and honour. Or to put it more bluntly: a white guy saves a non-white culture from internal and external threats. But no matter, in this film it’s clear that the real focus is on the individual anyway. The realistic presentation of the entire black African population is neglected for the sake of DiCaprio’s character development. While all the Africans are portrayed either as victims or monsters, Leo realises there’s more to life than money. Hurrah. As Solomon is portrayed as naïve, wholesome simpleton, used for comic relief, the hero is simplistically presented as the face of the west benefiting from the exploitation of the developing world. The real focus should be on the criminally underdeveloped black characters. Such condescension is disturbing considering the thousands of affected human lives that Solomon represents.

Blood Diamond is far from sugary, often being gritty and violent - but it is fundamentally unconvincing. For example, it’s not enough that the militia are bad men because they brainwash children into G.I. Joes but *gasp* - they also listen to hip-hop. And next to this violence, Jennifer Connolly, as the Lois Lane for democracy, feels superfluous. Despite the romance between Connolly and Leo being underplayed, its presence nevertheless suggests that what really matters is whether the guy will get the girl in the end. The consequences of Western imperialism are put on hold for the demands of the Hollywood blockbuster - but you can bet awards will beckon regardless.

Two Stars

Sarah Woolley