Review of Blood Diamond (2006) by Eric M — 18 Sep 2015

The more I see of Edward Zwick's work, the more I come think that "The Last Samurai" is his true magnum opus. "Blood Diamond" borrows some elements from that film with disappointingly little of the subtlety and grace of the aforementioned Tom Cruise epic.

"Diamond" benefits from committed performances around the board, a strong moral core (Zwick's trademark), intelligent social criticism, and an emotional score by James Newton Howard. However, it is undone by a script that tries to pack too much into one film, resulting in a heavy-handed narrative that buckles under the weight of its too-broad scope.

Zwick's editing choices are also questionable, a rapidly paced clip doing the characters, cinematography and story a disservice. Action is too frequent, with character moments rushed and lacking subtlety and nuance as a result.

The best moments of the film are the ones where Zwick trusts both his actors and the situations the story creates: Solomon staring at his family through a UN camp fence while Maddy takes pictures, for instance.

Zwick trusted the narrative to speak for itself in "Glory" and "The Last Samurai." He didn't here, and tried to shoehorn too many of the complex issues of African instability into too little space.

There are great moments sprinkled within, and the film is excellent for jumpstarting conversation regarding the humanitarian crisis, but as far as a truly emotionally affecting story goes, Antoine Fuqua's flawed but focused "Tears of the Sun" proves more compelling, and there are better examples of Zwick as an artist rather than social commentator.