Are Will Smith and Leonardo Di Caprio the best positioned to denounce universal precariousness and diamond trafficking in Africa? Certainly not. But they will undoubtedly attract more spectators to the theaters than a small Brazilian film without stars. Is it better to use large means at the risks of caricature, or to take on multinationals via a more modest and honest production?
For his part, Edward Zwick, the director of Blood Diamond has made a choice: it is Warner Bros that foots the bill for his indictment against the diamond trade. These precious stones, sold to foreign companies, finance African civil wars.
In this adventure film, Leonardo Di Caprio plays a cynical foreigner. He discovers the stakes of diamond hunting through his encounter with a poor fisherman. The eco-conscious blond doesn’t forget to fall for a beautiful, idealistic journalist, played by Jennifer Connelly. The strings are heavily pulled. But even in its Hollywood-formatted version, the film has managed to scare the World Diamond Council. It spent no less than 15 million dollars in communication campaigns to counter Edward Zwick’s message. The director admits to having faced enormous pressure during the filming by the association.
When Money Makes Happiness
For his part, Gabriel Muccino did not cross the African continent to report on the misery of people. He stayed in the United States to narrate the life of Chris Gardner. Precarious job, marital crisis, and in no time, the good husband finds himself in a train station. Homeless, but with a 5-year-old son to feed and protect.
The film is all the more credible as the story is true: Chris Gardner exists, aged 53. After experiencing the lowest point, he made a fortune in a prestigious brokerage firm. A story we love, an American success story. And another paradox: behind Chris’s rapid social decline lies the critique of a nonexistent American social system. Seeing capitalism, where that damned dollar that makes you lose your mind becomes more important than the human person. However, the moral of the story remains precisely that of capitalism: willpower makes the man. Help yourself and heaven will help you.
Hollywood or the art of profiting from everything, even misery.
African Show
The latest trend among American directors: denouncing the scandals occurring on the poorest continent of the planet. And often, Europe and the United States are targeted. Hotel Rwanda in 2005, where the passivity of the international community during the 1994 genocide. Lord of War last year with a Nicolas Cage proud to be an arms trafficker. Or The Constant Gardener and the pharmaceutical industry’s dealings. Self-flagellation is becoming fashionable. Edward Zwick defends himself: “Do you really think I made Blood Diamond to follow a trend? I have been denouncing dramatic situations for years. Don’t make me laugh.” The question remains if these films can truly make a difference beyond the temporary media effect. Other repercussions of such films: they portray a caricatural image of Africa: violence, trafficking, kidnappings. Land of desolation and fatalism, cinema does not compromise. Between folklore and miserabilism, it’s time to find the right balance.
