Film Critique: Blood Diamond by Edward Zwick - Movie Review Example

Film Critique Affiliation: Introduction The movie is “Blood Diamond” and even though it has many themes that can be identified including war, love, violence, defiance among others, the main theme under discussion will be exploitation. This is the main theme because from the beginning of the movie to the end, different people are being exploited either because they are powerless, naïve or just naïve and this leads to continual of violence and destruction of that nation. This paper is going to extensively critique this movie in relation to the media’s portrayal of development. This will be done through in depth analysis of the main theme which will then lead to critical analysis of development according to the media and in relation to development theory. Blood diamond is a film about the Sierra Leone’s forceful mining of diamond by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which was a political “revolutionary” group that wanted to overthrow the government of Sierra Leone the same way Liberia’s government was overthrown. This group of people were bandits and they killed villagers, raped the women and girls while they forcefully recruited the young boys as child soldiers to fight the government. The men on the other hand were taken to mine diamonds which were then sold in the first world countries and the money used to purchase more weapons to fight and recruit more child soldiers. The main actor Solomon has his village raided and his family taken away while his son is recruited as a child soldier and he is taken to mine diamonds. He hides a large diamond by burying it with the intent of using it later in exchange of his family. A smuggler Archer wants to use the diamond to leave the continent but he is injured and in return gives the rock to Solomon and connects him to his journalist friend Maddy requesting her to assist him to sell it. Maddy exposes the company Van de Kaap and its involvement in the political war taking place in Sierra Leone by purchasing the diamonds and supplying weapons (http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/). The background of the story is how diamonds that are mined by force and people are killed for it are sold and the money used to further fund the war and cause more deaths to the civilians. The characters are both African and Whites with the film being acted in two different locations. The main characters include: Leonardo DiCaprio (as Dann Archer the smuggler), Djimon Hounsou (as Solomon Vandy), Jennifer Connelly (as Maddy Bowen the journalist) and Kagiso Kuypers (Dia Vandy, Solomon’s child soldier son). Critical Analysis The media (through the film) aims to show how developmentally challenged African countries that engage in wars and violence are and how it exploits its innocent citizens in a bid to gain individualistic development (development in this case being power and wealth). The RUF which comes with the pretense of revolution for the people of Sierra Leone end up harassing the local citizens and exploiting their lack of power (brought about by guns and other weapons), wealth and naivety (Gberie, 2005). The exploitation leads to the men being taken to mine for diamonds and even there they are heavily guarded by the soldiers to prevent any of them escaping or stealing the diamonds which are later traded for guns and other war weapons in the first world country. The boys on the other hand have their childhood exploited as they are forcefully made child soldiers and even forced to rape women and girls. The media compares this life of war and violence in Sierra Leone which is a third world country still struggling with political instability with United Kingdom a first world country that is so peaceful that Solomon wants to go and settle there with his son and does so with the help of Archer and Maddy. He goes to seek the peace, tranquility and wealth not accorded to him in his own country and which is indeed development according to the media portrayal. The film rotates around the theme of exploitation for economic and political gain. The best theory in this case which can be used to analyze the film is the human development theory which deals with consideration of the human capital in any economy which translates to their capabilities and abilities in a bid to gain and develop economically. The RUF soldiers used the abilities and capabilities of the men and boys (who are able-bodied) to gain both diamonds and money (Newman and Newman, 2007). There is also the dependency theory which states that resources move from the periphery to the core which means from the underdeveloped to the developed nations leading to exploitation of the underdeveloped nations in the process as the developed nations use the resources to enrich their own selves while the underdeveloped continue to wallow in poverty (Andersen and Taylor, 2012). The same situation is presented in the film where the uncut diamond mining that is done by the locals who are not even allowed to remain with a little is shipped to the first world countries like the UK who then cut it to make jewelry that are sold at very high cost. The exporters are paid little and much in weapons to continue destroying their country hence ensuring that they will keep on relying on the developed countries to give them money for the diamonds and never use the diamonds for their own benefits. The context of the film is both economic and political and the two are intertwined. The RUF is a progeny of bad political leadership in Sierra Leone and seek revolution to oust the government but in the process, they exploit the locals to their own gains by making them mine diamond for them without having to pay them (provision of cheap labor) and even acquiring manpower to help them fight in terms of having child soldiers whom they recruit from the young boys. Economically, there is the issue of the blood diamond trade from Sierra Leone to other developed countries and using the money gained to purchase weapons to continue with the political fights. Development is any positive change or growth that takes place. In this regard, by the end of the film, people are aware how the diamonds they so wish for in their ornaments are mainly achieved and leads to blood of innocent being shed. This is growth in knowledge which even though might not touch the heart of all, a few people might change and put to an end the lucrative diamond trade hence ending the bloodshed and exploitation. Watching the film also opens up the understanding of the political instability bad governance leads to and therefore people can change to become better leaders to avoid such revolutionary groups coming up and brewing violence in the pretense of bringing democracy (Mercereau and Ghura, 2004). Conclusion Blood diamond is a film that not only aims to entertain but also educate. It provides an insight about what really goes on when there is a revolutionary war. It has provided an overview of the sufferings and exploitations that the innocent locals go through in the name of seeking democracy and good governance from the revolutionary rebels. The film portrays how the third world nations depend on the first world countries even though they provide resources from their own land. It is also evident that during war in such underdeveloped countries, many citizens flee and seek asylum in the first world countries but they ought to have something to give in exchange for the asylum. All in all, it is an educational film that all need to watch so that they can understand the atrocities that accompany war in any country with poor governance. References Andersen, M. and Taylor, H. (2012). Sociology: The Essentials. New York: Cengage Learning. Gberie, L. (2005). A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF And the Destruction of Sierra Leone. Indiana: Indiana University Press. http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/ Mercereau, B. and Ghura, D. (2004). Political Instability and Growth: The Central African Republic, Issues 2004-2080. Washington DC: International Monetary Fund Newman, B. M. and Newman, P. R. (2007). Theories of Human Development. New Jersey: Routledge Read More