A gripping thriller about greed, violence and moral decisions – praised by the Academy, but barely noticed by audiences. Tonight “Blood Diamond” with Leonardo DiCaprio airs on TV.
Expensive, socially relevant and with a top-notch cast — but it wasn’t a huge box office success: When “Blood Diamond” was released in 2006, everything seemed to be pointing toward assured success.
Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, gripping action and a dramatic story about greed, war and humanity – plus five Oscar nominations. However, the audience’s response did not match Hollywood expectations.
Today (November 11) TV viewers have the opportunity to see for themselves: Tele 5 shows the political thriller “Blood Diamond” at 20:15. in prime time. If you missed the TV broadcast, you can also rent or buy the film on Amazon, Apple TV or Sky.
Despite getting an Oscar nomination: “Blood Diamond” failed to convince fans
Despite its star power and socially explosive topic, “Blood Diamond” failed to achieve the expected success at the box office. With a budget of around $100 million, the film grossed around $171 million worldwide – not bad, but not much of a success when you factor in marketing and distribution costs.
“Blood Diamond” received about 63 percent positive reviews on “Rotten Tomatoes” and 64 out of 100 points on “Metacritic.” However, many praised the impressive setting and intensity of DiCaprio’s performance, but criticized the fact that Hollywood forced the African civil war into an action story in a rather formulaic way.
Despite the muted fan response, “Blood Diamond” was at least able to score points at the Academy: It had five Oscar nominations in 2007 — including for Leonardo DiCaprio as Best Actor and Djimon Hounsou as Best Supporting Actor. Editing, sound editing and sound mixing were also nominated. Although this political thriller didn’t win any awards, five nominations is a sign of strong recognition in the industry.
“Blood Diamond” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a diamond smuggler: that’s the point
In civil war-torn Sierra Leone in the 1990s, the paths of two very different people cross. Fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) is separated from his family by rebels and forced to work in a diamond mine. There he finds a rare pink diamond – a stone that could change his life.
At the same time, diamond smuggler Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) senses his big opportunity: He learns about Solomon’s find and wants to get the gemstone at any price. Together with idealistic journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), the three embark on a dangerous journey through a country devastated by war. Although Archer initially only thinks about profits, he is increasingly faced with the human downside of the diamond trade – and must decide whose side he really is on.
