the movieGOOMBA

Quoted from the iconic Marilyn Monroe, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." They totally are. A diamond is dedicated. She will always make you look good. She will always make you feel like a princess. She won't ever steal your boyfriend, and she listens with patience, never saying a word. She never complains. You'll never argue with her (unless she snags your dress, but hey, no one is perfect). She is someone you can trust, rely on, and admire. But if you knew that she was the cause of a person's missing hand, child militia, separation of family, slavery and or death, would she still be your friend?

A blood diamond "is a diamond mined in a war zone and sold, usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgent or invading army's war efforts." Blood Diamond raises awareness toward the ongoing suffering of the African people in regard to diamond trafficking and rebel militia. African rebels torment and torture local African tribes, often taking children and turning them into soldiers or turning able bodies into slaves.

Solomon, a farmer, was captured and forced to mine for diamonds. In the process, he finds a very large, rare, pink diamond. Solomon manages to flee and is recruited by a diamond smuggler, Leonardo DiCaprio, who insists that he can help Solomon reunite with his family if Solomon shows him where the diamond is.

The film focuses on key themes: redemption, family, and greed. Blood Diamond brings humanity to an issue that many consumeristic Americans may not be conscious of. To paraphrase Jennifer Connelly's character "people in the States wouldn't buy diamonds if they knew it cost someone their hand." One of the beauties of film is that it can suck you into a reality that isn't your own. Hearing about it on the news is one thing, but living vicariously through the silver screen is something completely different. This movie sutured me in so fast that I was already yelling at the villagers (i.e. the TV) to run faster and hide just 10 min into the plot.

It's kind of stressful to watch, though not nearly as intense as Hotel Rawanda or Children of Men. I don't think this was necessarily a fantastic movie, but it's worth seeing. Moral of the story, be politically aware, don't be greedy, and purchase conflict-free diamonds.