blood diamond

one type of movie that i love are those that deal with issues of social justice/social conscience and really make you think. we recently watched Blood Diamond, and first of all, i STAYED AWAKE through the entire thing! this is a true rarity, though it could have been partly due to my headache... (why is it, by the way, that EVERY Sunday i have a headache??) so anyway, it gets points just for keeping me awake. there are definitely some parts of this film that are not for the faint of heart, and i had to turn away at some points due to violent scenes. but overall i found it thought-provoking and eye-opening, with some very moving themes.

i wanted to quote one particularly profound moment here, through which i totally heard the voice of God speaking. a father comes face to face with his young estranged son, who had been taken and brainwashed by the enemy and now points a gun at him. i just love how he looks straight into his son's eyes, seeing past the hard exterior, and speaks truth straight to his heart. for me, this was one of the scenes that makes some of the darker parts of the movie worthwhile.

"you are Dia Vandy... you are a good boy. 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."

click here to watch the trailer.