Blood Diamond (2006)
Adventure, Drama, Thriller |
Blood Diamond is a political war thriller film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance conflicts, and thereby profit warlords and diamond companies across the world.
Set during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1991–2002, the film depicts a country torn apart by the struggle between government loyalists and insurgent forces. It also portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels’ amputation of people’s hands to discourage them from voting in upcoming elections.
It is 1999 and Sierra Leone is ravaged by major political unrest. Rebel factions such as the Revolutionary United Front frequently terrorize the countryside, intimidating Mende locals and enslaving many to harvest diamonds, which fund their increasingly successful war effort. One such unfortunate local is fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) from Shenge, who is separated from his family and assigned to a workforce overseen by Captain Poison (David Harewood), a ruthless warlord.
One morning, Vandy discovers an enormous pink diamond in the river. Captain Poison tries to take the stone, but the area is suddenly raided by government troops. Vandy buries the stone before being captured. Both Vandy and Poison are incarcerated in Freetown, along with Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a white Rhodesian gunrunner, whose family was killed in the Rhodesian Bush War.
Director: Edward Zwick
Writers: Charles Leavitt (screenplay & story), C. Gaby Mitchell (story)
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Kagiso Kuypers, Arnold Vosloo, Antony Coleman, Benu Mabhena
Cast:
| Leonardo DiCaprio | … | Danny Archer |
| Djimon Hounsou | … | Solomon Vandy |
| Jennifer Connelly | … | Maddy Bowen |
| Kagiso Kuypers | … | Dia Vandy |
| Arnold Vosloo | … | Colonel Coetzee |
| Antony Coleman | … | Cordell Brown |
| Benu Mabhena | … | Jassie Vandy |
| Anointing Lukola | … | N’Yanda Vandy |
| David Harewood | … | Captain Poison |
| Basil Wallace | … | Benjamin Kapanay |
| Jimi Mistry | … | Nabil |
| Michael Sheen | … | Rupert Simmons |
| Marius Weyers | … | Rudolf Van De Kaap |
| Stephen Collins | … | Ambassador Walker |
| Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine | … | M’Ed (as Ntare Mwine) |
| Bouba Badiane | … | Tupac T-Shirt |
| Ato Essandoh | … | Commander Rambo |
| Percy Matsemela | … | Commander Zero |
| Ronnie Nyakale | … | Digger 1 |
| Tony Kgoroge | … | Troop Leader |
| Nick Reding | … | British DFID Minister |
| Klemens Becker | … | German Minister |
| Akin Omotoso | … | Peacekeeper |
| Chiméne Costa | … | Red Cross Worker |
| Dini Nondumo | … | Mende UN Worker |
| Grant Swanby | … | UNCHR Official |
| Tau Maserumule | … | R.U.F. Soldier #1 |
| Adetokumboh M’Cormack | … | R.U.F. Trainer |
| Martin Abdul-Jabbar | … | Guinean Guard (as Martin Abdul Jabbar) |
| Gaurav Chopra | … | French Journalist |
| Karl McMillan | … | Aussie Journalist |
| David S. Lee | … | Cockney Journalist |
| Jonathan Pienaar | … | SA Cameraman |
| Sonni Chidiebere | … | Kamajoor Headman |
| Nnamdi Onyeiwu | … | Kamajoor |
| Nhlanhla Mavimbela | … | Child Soldier 1 |
| Mfundo Pisani | … | Child Soldier 2 |
| Phado Bahola | … | Child Soldier 3 (Indoc) |
| Thabang Mothle | … | Child Soldier 4 (Indoc) |
| Buhle Seya | … | Child Soldier 5 (Indoc) |
| Sizwe Makapela | … | Child Soldier 6 (Indoc) |
| Tyrone Keogh | … | SA Page |
| Winston Ntshona | … | Old Mende Man |
| Mduduzi Mabaso | … | Rebel 1 |
| Nathaniel Ramabulana | … | Rebel 2 (as Nat Ramabulana) |
| Zenzo Ngqobe | … | Rebel 3 |
| Mlungisi Hlophe | … | Rebel 4 |
| Carol Behane | … | Mother at the Bridge |
| Nigel Harman | … | News Reporter |
| Clare Holman | … | News Reporter |
| Kedibone Tholo Manyaka | … | Prostitute 1 (as Kedibone Tholo) |
| Koketso Mojela | … | Prostitute 2 |
| Keithian Santos-Sammons | … | Djabu (as Keithian De’ Von Santos-Sammons) |
| Irmelin DiCaprio | … | Woman at airport (uncredited) (unconfirmed) |
| Ray Donn | … | Journalist (uncredited) |
| Julie Eagleton | … | Van De Kaap Executive (uncredited) |
| Karen Haacke | … | Van De Kaap’s Wife (uncredited) |
| Vanessa Haywood | … | Diplomat’s Wife (uncredited) |
| Dan Hirst | … | Colonel’s Bodyguard (uncredited) |
| Cordell McQueen | … | Young mercinary (uncredited) |
| Scott Wickes | … | Journalist (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia