I hadn't seen this one in a while and it showed up as a rerun on HBO so I watched it again. This is a good movie. A lot better than I remember, with wonderful performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou. The movie takes place in Sierra Leone during the civil war, where DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, an ex South African army fighter, and now a mercenary for diamonds. Hounsou plays a simple fisherman,Solomon, who is captured and stripped of his family in order to dig for diamonds. Apparently the diamond business was still a feudal enterprise as late as the 1990's. I guess if you don't dig than you die or lose an arm. Rough stuff!
As Solomon is digging he comes across one of the largest and purest diamonds ever found. It is a rare pink in color and very valuable. However as government troops launch an attach on the mines, Solomon hides the diamond. However his nemesis Captain Poison who had captured him, sees Solomon hide the diamond but both are arrested before they can retrieve the gem.
In the meantime, Danny finds out that Solomon knows of the diamond and he seeks to get it for himself. In exchange Danny will find Solomon's missing family. The two set off on their quest and enlist the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connolly), a journalist who is sympathetic to the plights of the people in Sierra Leone and cares nothing about the diamond. Maddy helps find Solomon's family but as they are reunited Solomon realizes his boy has been brain washed to fight. I won't spoil the rest of the film but the ending is very good.
What great acting and action sequences from the this film. Why it cost so much is evident, because a lot of the scenes are epic in their expanse and wonferfully filmed. It's too bad it didn't make a profit because this is a very good film. The fighting scenes are very realistic and shot very well. It is good movie but not a great one, and definitely you should Queue It, if you haven't seen it already.
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