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Blood Diamond (film)

2006 film by Edward Zwick

Blood Diamond is a 2006 film that follows a rare pink diamond found in Sierra Leone, and the effect it has on the man who finds it, a smuggler who wants it, and an American journalist trying to find and expose the truth about these "blood diamonds".

Directed by Edward Zwick. Written by Charles Leavitt (screenplay), Charles Leavitt and C. Gaby Mitchell (story).
It Will Cost You Everything taglines

Danny Archer

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  • [as he hunts a baboon, visibly angry at Solomon over almost getting them killed the night before] You know I once had this buddy named Maboko. We used to hunt bushmeat together as kids, huh. Baboons.Baboons, they were the hardest to catch. They're... They're cunning. Cunning creatures. Fast, strong. Got good eyesight. We'd always find them by the smell of their shit and that's how we learned to track your black terrorists in Angola: by the smell of your shit. It's not the same as a baboon's but after you skin it the flesh of a baboon isn't all that different than a man's you know. I tell you, I can track anything. [takes carcass and wipes blood off knife with leaf] Risk my life like that again and I'll peel you face back off your head. You understand?

Solomon Vandy

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  • [trying to reason with Dia, who has a gun aimed at him] You're Dia Vandy, of the proud Mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much. She waits by the fire making plantains and red palm oil stew with your sister N'Yanda...and the new baby. [gradually gets closer] The cows wait for you. and Babu, the wild dog who minds no one but you. I know they made you do bad things, but you are not a bad boy. I am your father... who loves you. And you will come home with me and be my son again.

Captain Poison

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  • [at an RUF labour mining camp where captive villagers are forced to mine for diamonds] The Freetown government and their white masters have raped your land to feed their greed! RUF have freed you! No more slave and master here! RUF is fighting for the people! RUF is FIGHTING for Sierra Leone! [sees a worker find a diamond and hide it in his mouth; speaks but not directly referring to the worker] Any bastard think he would joke with me diamond, I go cut he throat! STOP! [approaches the worker] Give it to me! [worker takes the diamond out of his mouth and hands it to Poison, who then shoots him]
  • [to Vandy] You think I am a devil, but only because I have lived in Hell. I want to get out.

Dialogue

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Archer: Who do you think got you out of jail, huh!? That makes us partners!
Solomon: I am NOT your partner!
Maddy: You're using him.
Danny Archer: I am using him and you are using me and this is how it works, isn't it?
[Archer chances upon Maddy Bowen in a schoolroom, typing on her laptop]
Archer: [reads screen from just behind her] "In the 90-degree heat, Solomon Vandy drops to his knees rattling the wire with his powerful hands." [Mandy gets miffed at him] What?
Maddy: Nothing. Do you think I'm exploiting his grief? You're right. It's shit. It's like one of those infomercials. You know, the little black babies with swollen bellies and flies in their eyes. So here I've got dead mothers, I've got severed limbs, but it's nothing new. It might be enough to make people cry if they read it, maybe even write a check, but it's not gonna be enough to make it stop. I am sick of writing about victims, but it's all I can fucking do. Because I need facts. I need names. I need dates. I need pictures. I need bank accounts. People back home wouldn't buy a ring, if they knew it cost someone else their hand. But I can't write that story until I get facts that can be verified which is to say, until I find someone who will go on record. So if that is not you and you're not really gonna help me, and we're not really gonna screw then why don't you get the fuck out of my face and let me do my work?
Archer: Hmm wow. [chuckles] Do you know that Solomon thinks his son's gonna be a doctor one day? Maybe his baby dies in that camp. Maybe his daughter gets raped. Who knows, maybe both. Do you realize that that diamond is the only chance he has of getting his family out?
Maddy: You don't give a rat's ass..
Archer: Do you understand that?
Maddy: ... about his family.
Archer: Listen, I need to get to Kono, all right? The only way is with the press convoy. I'm a journalist, and he's my cameraman, all right?
Maddy: No.
Archer: Please, Maddy. Please. [puts hand on her shoulder]
Maddy: NO! [shakes him off]
Archer: [goes to window] After I smuggle the stones across the border, local buyers get them to a middleman in Monrovia.
Maddy: [interested at what he just said] Go on.
Archer: He pays off Customs and then certifies that the diamonds were mined in Liberia. That way, they can be legally exported. Now, once they've reached the buyers in Antwerp, [closes classroom door as he explains] diamonds are brought to the sorting tables, no more questions are asked. By the time they get to India, the dirty stones are mixed with the clean stones from all over the world, and then they become like any other diamonds.
Maddy: And Van De Kaap knows about all this?
Archer: When I get to London, I meet with Simmons. Supply and demand. You control the supply, and you keep the demand high. Now, there's an underground vault, where they put all the stones they buy up to keep off the market, so they can keep the price high. If rebels wanna flood the market with a billion dollars' worth of rough, a company like Van De Kaap, who says that they're rare, they can't afford to let that happen. Especially when they're telling some poor sod he's supposed to shell out three months' salary for an engagement ring. Now, technically speaking, they're not financing the war but creating a situation where it pays to keep it going. You understand?
Maddy: Yes. And where's my proof?
Archer: [shows her a black book, pointing out contents] Names, dates and numbered accounts. You publish one word of this story before I give them the stone and I'm dead, huh? After I give it to them, then... I leave this continent forever.
Maddy: If you don't come out with the diamond?
Archer: Then write whatever you want. I'm already dead.
[Archer visits an RUF hideout to talk to Commander Zero but wants nothing to do with Captain Rambo. They speak in Krio, Sierra Leoneian creole]
Commander Zero: Mistah Achah, Com' heah. You get som'ting for me.
Archer: Den you sef get som'ting for me, ah?
Commander Zero: You bring da plane com' firs'.
Archer: Are you craz'? You ge' fo' pay me firs' for dem. [Commander Zero walks over to Archer and hands him a small velvet bag. Archer opens it and examines the contents, but gets visibly disappointed] Dis, no fine, ah? Dis no fine.
Commander Zero: Dis no more you get, Poo'mui! [white boy]
Archer: Den you'n yo' boys den can use ona all rotten AK dem, against dem gov'ment troop, and den new weapons dem, ah?
Commander Zero: Maybe we just kill you and take away what you bring bok.
Archer: Then you get one more dede body, instead of aeroplane way-full wit' grenade launchahs! Som'ting I'm gon' go to dem gov'ment! Dem gov'ment, at least dem gon' pay me, ah? [tries to walk out]
Commander Zero: Wait, wait, my friend. Here is da ting you want. [Takes out a coffee can full of raw diamonds and pours them into Archer's hand] So many, I not know what do wit' dem all. Hey Achah! Next time, [taps Archer on the arm] you bring satellite TV, eh? I want see Baywatch!
Archer: Ja ja.
[Danny visits his old boss, Colonel Coetzee, in his vineyard]
Col. Coetzee: A deal went bad and you owe me money. I'll take a stone as payment.
Archer: D'you think if I found a stone like that, I'd still be on this continent? [Archer laughs] Come on!
Col. Coetzee: [smiles] Ach, Danny...give me your hand. [Archer extends his hand and Coetzee lets a fistful of red soil fall onto Archer's palm.] This red earth, it's in our skin. The Shona say the colour comes from all the blood that's being spilled fighting over the land. This is home. You'll never leave Africa.
Archer: If you say so, sir.
[Archer and Solomon trek but Solomon suddenly diverts]
Archer: Hold up there, my man. It's this way, huh? Where do you think you are going? Stop! [confronts Solomon] I said, stop! He is not down there, all right? [but Solomon shoves] All right. You're gonna need some of that old discipline, huh? Now you listen here, my boy, and you listen well. You are not going down there. Are we clear?
Solomon: You are not the master. [shoves back and walks on]
Archer: Right now, that is EXACTLY WHAT I AM, AND YOU’D BETTER REMEMBER IT, KAFFIR! [Solomon rushes him at the insult and they fight. As they struggle, Archer recovers and points his gun at Solomon] Don't you fucking move, huh? Don't you move. Don't you move, huh?
Solomon: My son is there!
Archer: Your son is GONE, huh?
Solomon: He is alive!
Archer: He's gone!
Solomon: He's alive! He's there with those crazy people! [Archer holds back] I am his father! His father! I should have protected him! I must go find him. I cannot live without knowing! Shoot me if you want, but I'm going. Why should it matter, I'm dead already!
[Solomon and Archer fight off Colonel Coetzee and his men, and Archer just shot the colonel]
Colonel Coetzee: TIA, huh, Danny?
Archer: TIA... [Archer shoots the colonel as the colonel draws his gun again; to Solomon] Keep digging, huh? They'be here any second. [tries to search Coetzee's body for more ammo, but suddenly feels he was also hit]
[Archer is dying from being shot to the side]
Archer: Take it.
Solomon: Mr. Archer...
Archer: Take it! Take it!
Solomon: I thought you'd steal it from me?
Archer: Ja, it occured to me, huh?
[Archer laughs]
Archer: Listen, this is Maddy's card, huh. You call her when you get to Conakry, alright? [giving Solomon his gun] And don't trust that pilot for a second. You point this at his head if he fucks around, alright?
Solomon: I can carry you.
Archer: You take your boy home, huh. You take him home.
[Archer calls Maddy while under fire]
Maddy: Hello, Maddy Bowen?
Archer: Thought I'd never call, huh?
Maddy: And I'm so glad you did. Um, when am I gonna see you?
Archer: Maddy, I want you to do me one more favor, huh? I want you to go meet Solomon. In Conakry.
Maddy: In Guinea. Why do you want me to go to Guinea?
Archer: We found his son, but he's gonna need some help. You understand? Maddy? [grunts]
Maddy: You're hurt. Are you hurt?
Archer: Ja, well, I've got a little problem here.
Maddy: OK, you, um, you tell me where you are. Archer?
Archer: [sees plane fly overhead] I'm looking at an incredible view right now. I wish you were here, Maddy.
Maddy: OK, then I'm coming to be with you. You just tell me where you are.
Archer: I don't think so.
Maddy: Are you still in Kono? Because I can get someone there to help you.
Archer: Maddy, you find someplace safe for the boy, alright? And keep him out of sight. And get Solomon to London. He's bringing something with him, and he's gonna need your help.
Maddy: Why aren't you bringing it yourself?
Archer: I'm saying it's a real story now, and you can write the hell out of it. I'm really happy I met you, you know that?
Maddy: [saddened knowing he's about to die] Yeah, I'm, um, I'm really happy I met you, too. And I wish I could be there with you.
Archer: That's alright. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. [hangs up, notices his blood mixing into the red Earth, and dies as the sun sets]

Taglines

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  • It Will Cost You Everything
  • Fortune
  • Freedom
  • Truth
  • From the director of "Glory" and "The Last Samurai"
  • No one has found a diamond, Until Now

Cast

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