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• usman khawaja said...

  Posted on Aug 21 2008 09:21 the idea of blood diamond originates in a raw and furious splondour in the heart of french congo as a trainload of mercenaries are sent to rescue a booty of raw diamonds from falling into the hands of the local simba rebels .
  rod taylor as the chief is both sympathetic yet very pragmatic to his mission ,whilst jim brown is best as ruffo ,the black man who is fighting for himself but with an inherent morality ,he comes from the trees but refuses to go back to those dark values as he looks at a bright future for a dark continent,
  carston as the fascist german in the mercenery crew is the weak point as a metaphor for the cliched evil white man and the rebels are not discussed at all despite a huge marauding ,murdering rabble of black africans who can commit any heinous act ,
  the flaws are balanced by the fine acting of almost all the cast, the great camerawork with both the intense use of color to enhance malice in a lush paredise and the director who creates a malevolent and forbidding thriller from a somewhat sentimentally idealized plot about human liberty and equality for all.
  the theme of lust, avarice,racial genocide and the ideology of one good deed or act of justice to nullify all the rest of evil humanity as a foil wins you over in a very intelligent stroke .
  the action scenes are staged very well with planes ,trains ,and convoy ambushes and the carnage looks as disturbing as it ever has .
  one thing is for certain hollywood made in 68 what is happenning now in africa in a more realistic and stylish manner than they can do today without being condescending to the natives as in blood diamond or king of scotland ,both of which look lesser works in the same context after watching this flawed but fascinating african fable .
  the best things are always simple little trivia like the character of the alcoholic doctor who has to save a breech delivery at risk to his own life or a young white army lieutenant who must endure torture but can smile when he sees his job is accomplished,
  or the african kids being gunned down by the mercenaries as rebel spies.
  it all leads to a great ,exciting but a different thriller .
  usman khawaja

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