BLOOD DIAMOND

This is not a movie I want to watch more than once, but then, there's no need to do that. You get the whole story in the first viewing, and if you're not disturbed over it, then you should check your pulse.

Blood Diamond (2006) is rated R for strong language and violence in its portrayal of the African diamond industry - diamonds that cost the lives of entire villages. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a man who is deeply entrenched in the business of smuggling and selling these blood-bought diamonds to buyers around the world, especially in London and the US. The buyers seem to be uninterested how the diamonds made it to their hands. Their interest lies in getting the beautiful stones at low prices to sell to jewelry buyers. That's you and me, folks, if we're buying diamonds without asking questions about where they came from.

The story revolves around an African fisherman, whose family is separated due to the attack of the "child soldiers" who are fighting for the revolutionaries. His son is taken captive and brainwashed to become a child soldier, taught to murder, drink, take drugs, and have no feelings at all for the victims. His wife and daughters run away and wind up in a refugee camp. Solomon (Djimon Hounsou), the fisherman, makes a deal with a diamond trader (Danny Archer/DiCaprio) to show him where he buried a rare and large pink diamond while he himself was held captive by the diamond miners. They team up with a female American journalist (Maddy Bowen/Jennifer Connelly) and fight their way back across the territory against all sorts of odds and adversity including the brutal soldiers who are there for the diamonds as suppliers to diamond dealers.

While basically a fictional telling, the story is based on the bloody conflict diamonds that are sold worldwide. Perhaps this telling will bring to light the murders and rampages that unscrupulous people will resort to when seeking such treasure and riches.

This story needed to be told.