Blood Diamonds

[Greg Bernhardt]

Score: B+

Great thriller! Lots of important topics brought up like the diamond industry, issues in africa and the power of love. Dicaprio has a decent enough accent to pull off the role of a south african diamond smuggler. There is very little lull in the movie and I enjoyed it's pace. Definately check it out if you've been wondering about it.

 

[90K]

did ole Leo have the South African accent?

 

[roomy]

did ole Leo have the South African accent?

His accent was quite good, not perfect but good enough, he is an exceptional talent.The movie is fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Adam's Apple]

I'd give the movie about the same grade you did, Greg. I thought it was one of the better movies released in 2006. The movie acquainted the American people about the dark side of the diamond trade, of which they may not have been aware. I certainly wasn't.

 

[glockmail]

PBS did an expose on DeBeers about 20 some-odd years ago. I haven't bought a real diamond since. Are they mentioned?

 

[Adam's Apple]

We saw the movie the first weekend it was in release--quite a while ago--so I can't remember if DeBeers was actually named in the movie, but DeBeers has certainly been identifed in follow-up publicity about this movie.

 

[Hawthorne]

That's a good movie. Dicaprio and Connelly are excellent as always.

PBS did an expose on DeBeers about 20 some-odd years ago. I haven't bought a real diamond since. Are they mentioned?

No I don't remember the brand Debeers mentioned. But I'm sure they couldn't or Debeers will certainly have pursued in justice the movie producer.
Anyway I'm sure Debeers still doing a LOT of money. If they still have Aishwarya Rai for the face of the brand, I guess they have a lot of value.
The good think is that I'm sure that a lot of people after watching this movie will think twice before buying diamonds.

 

[waltky]

Blood diamonds dealer arrested...

American-Belgian businessman arrested on 'blood diamond' charges
Aug. 30, 2015 -- Michel Desaedeleer, a dual American-Belgian citizen, was recently arrested in Spain on suspicion of enslavement and pillage of "blood diamonds" during Sierra Leone's civil war.

Several Sierra Leone residents filed criminal complaints against Desaedeleer in January 2011, to which Belgian authorities responded by opening a formal investigation. In 2015, a European arrest warrant was issued against Desaedeleer, who lived in the United States prior to his arrest, according to Civitas Maxima, an aid organization that offers legal representation to war crimes victims. Desaedeleer is accused of participating with former Liberian President Charles Taylor and the Revolutionary United Front rebel group in Sierra Leone in the district of Kono where the RUF used civilians as slaves to mine in diamond pits.

The proceeds of the enslaved civilians were brought to Taylor in Monrovia and then sold on the international market. Sierra Leone's civil war lasted from 1991 to 2002 and Desaedeleer is accused of being involved in the war crimes and crimes against humanity between 1999 and 2001.

Civitas Maxima, based in Geneva, Switzerland, has worked in partnership with the Center for Accountability and Rule of Law, based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, over the past several years in the case against Desaedeleer to "document crimes and assist the victims to obtain justice." "This is another significant step forward in our collective efforts at ensuring accountability for the crimes that occurred during the conflict in Sierra Leone," Center for Accountability and Rule of Law Executive Director Ibrahim Tommy said in a statement. "No one should be allowed to get away with participating in serious offenses such as enslaving people and forcing them to mine for diamonds." "This case will also help to shed light on the otherwise discreet drivers of the infamous 'blood diamond' trade in Sierra Leone," Tommy added.

This marks the first time that a businessman has been arrested over alleged involvement in the international crimes of enslavement of civilians and pillage of blood diamonds. "This is a landmark case, the first of its kind, and it will help to raise awareness of the pivotal role played by financial actors in the trade of mineral resources that fuel armed conflicts in Africa and elsewhere," Director of Civitas Maxima Alain Werner said in a statement.

American-Belgian businessman arrested on 'blood diamond' charges