64
Metascore
39 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New YorkerDavid DenbyThe New YorkerDavid DenbyEssentially a romantic adventure story with politics in the background--an old-fashioned movie, I suppose, but exciting and stunningly well made.
- 88PremiereGlenn KennyPremiereGlenn KennyNot that Diamond skimps on the social commentary; far from it. But it makes its points without too much breast-beating, caching its polemic within a tough-minded entertainment.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinGiven that the movie doesn't have a single narrative surprise--you always know where it's going and why, commercially speaking, it's going there--it's amazing how good Blood Diamond is. I guess that's the surprise.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliIt's a solid performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, who has grown into this sort of "gritty" role and is more believable after having been seen dancing on the dark side in "The Departed."
- 70The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenTo the unlikely role of a Bogart-esque reluctant hero, Leonardo DiCaprio brings an intensity that compels even when the script falters.
- 70L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorThere's no use griping about the superfluous white-on-white romance that generates so much dead space in Zwick's movie, for without it Blood Diamond would never have been made. Which would be a pity, for as liberal hand-wringing goes, it's a winner.
- 60VarietyBrian LowryVarietyBrian LowryAfrica's enduring sorrow is ripe for drama, but Blood Diamond is, finally, a fitting metaphor for the gems: Potentially brilliant from a distance, but upon closer inspection, one likely will see the flaws.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumThere is every reason to learn about the link between jewels and death, by all means, but no reason to try to disguise a term paper as entertainment.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceDe Beers can relax; the only indignation stirred up by Blood Diamond won't be among those who worry about where their jewelry came from, but with audiences incensed by facile politics and bad storytelling.
- 50Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovWhile the film never quite reaches the emotional peaks it so obviously seeks to scale, Zwick's film is still potent enough to save you three months salary.