'Blood Diamond' is graceful look at complex issue

Blood Diamond proves that action need not be mindless and that a movie with a message can still be fun.

Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Courage Under Fire), Blood Diamond stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou as an unlikely trio embroiled in revolution, romance and the terrible toll paid for diamonds mined in conflict regions.

In less skilled hands, the story of African unrest and the precious stones that feed the fire could have become bloated and self-righteous, the sort of overtly political film that polarizes audiences and pundits alike. Blood Diamond utilizes the political point to tell a compelling story, though.

Set in Sierra Leone during the bloody revolution that rocked the country in 1999, the film centers on a disillusioned diamond smuggler (Mr. DiCaprio) who happens on an escaped political prisoner (Mr. Hounsou) who has hidden a particularly large diamond of exceptional quality. En route to the diamond and, just perhaps, his escape from Africa, the smuggler finds himself embroiled in a will-they-or-won't-they relationship with an American journalist (Ms. Connelly) hoping to break the story of conflict diamonds and their route to Western engagement rings.

The film is punctuated by Hollywood grand set pieces that never overshadow the rhetoric but go a long way toward divesting it of its sermonlike solemnity. Particularly harrowing are a rebel advance on the capital city of Freetown and an air attack on a rebel mining camp.

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Mr. Zwick always seems aware that the film's success depends on the abilities of his cast. Mr. DiCaprio is note-perfect in the charming rogue role, finding subtle ways to invest a fairly unsympathetic character with humanity. Likewise, Ms. Connelly finds reserves of strength in a role that might have merely been the romantic interest.

The finest performance belongs to Mr. Hounsou. A layered role that incorporates elements of grief, fear, indignation and hope, his portrayal runs the constant risk of veering toward melodrama but manages to stay the course.

There are times when Blood Diamond feels a bit overburdened, when it feels as though Mr. Zwick lingers too long on a subplot and there are a few too many balls in the air. This is most evident in scenes involving a young man captured and indoctrinated in the rebel militia. Still, given the complexity of the film's goals and the relative grace with which it pulls them off, such small missteps are easily forgiven.

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.