A Civil Action

Starring:John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, Zeljko Ivanek, Bruce Norris, John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan, Peter Jacobson, Mary Mara, James Gandolfini, Stephen Fry, Dan Hedaya, David Thornton, Sydney Pollack, Ned Eisenberg, Margot Rose, Daniel von Bargen, Caroline Carrigan, Paul Desmond (II)
Director: Steven Zaillian
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Jonathan Harr's nonfiction bestseller was a shot in the arm for those seeking more than last-minute heroics akin to a John Grisham thriller. Here was a labyrinthine case involving industrial pollution by two highly regarded corporations, contaminated drinking water, and the deaths of innocent children in New England, circa 1981. The case has hundreds of twists and takes our hero--a steady, respectable lawyer named Jan Schlichtmann--and turns his life into personal disaster. Instead of celebrating the law, the story is a maddening and rewarding look at the elusiveness of the courtroom case.

Steven Zaillian, who won an Oscar for adapting Schindler's List and directed Searching for Bobby Fischer, boils Harr's 502-page book into a complete, satisfactory film experience. Book readers will no doubt jeer the streamlining Zaillian had to perform to make the movie flow. Most changes can be quickly defused with the exception of the film's portrait of Schlichtmann. The lawyer has been turned into a movie star, an ultra-slick, cold-hearted gentleman who finds his purpose in working the case. Casting a stalwart John Travolta again diverges from the book, which right from the opening pages showed us a Schlichtmann with feet of clay. As Schlichtmann's partners (including William H. Macy and Tony Shalhoub) descend into the case, the unbridled sense of power and money is abandoned. This case is ultimately about survival.

Amazon.com

If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga.

Customer Reviews:

A step up from Phantom Menace.......2007-07-05

I'm not a HUGE fan of episodes 1 through 3. However, I AM a huge star wars fan so I took that into account when viewing this movie. The fact is it's a better movie than part 1, plain and simple. You get to see Anakin becoming a jedi and taking his first steps toward losing himself. You learn about an impatient side to him that will ultimately be his undoing.

The movie itself focuses on Anakin's many relationships. That with his mother, with Padme, the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan and, of course, the man that would be Emperor Palpatine. For the importance of forwarding the plot, this movie was vitally important to the series. As a movie in general, I was not entirely impressed. I felt like Anakin was portrayed as way too immature for the man that would ultimately become Darth Vader. In episodes 4, 5 and 6, Darth Vader is ultimate Evil. Are we supposed to buy that ultimate evil was borne out of a whiney teenager?

On second thought, maybe that IS the source of the ultimate evil in the universe.

"My soul is in torment.".......2007-07-02

It is rarely remembered that the original title to the original STAR WARS novel was STAR WARS: BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LUKE SKYWALKER. Why George Lucas failed to subtitle his prequel trilogy STAR WARS: THE ADVENTURES OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER is a mystery, since that is exactly what he's given us. In point of fact, the six films together are the biography of the rise and fall and rise of Anakin Skywalker. After stretching twenty five minutes of storyline over 125 minutes of celluloid in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, in STAR WARS EPISODE II: THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES Lucas has successfully returned to his original source material, Joseph Campbell's work on myths and archetypes.

Taking place ten Earth years after THE PHANTOM MENACE, CLONES gives us the late adolescent Anakin Skywalker, now a Padawan Apprentice Jedi, and his older (but still young) mentor and teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mythologically, the two are not only The Mentor and Student (Merlin and Arthur), they are also The Twin Companions (Castor and Pollux, Romulus and Remus, Damon and Pythias), as well as being The Rival Brothers (Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Esau and Jacob). Lucas's decision to present these multiply-layered characterizations reflects the complexity of the plot in CLONES, by far the most ambitious of any STAR WARS film.

Anakin (Hayden Christiansen) is the most brilliant and talented Jedi ever, but he is immature, impatient, mercurial, and given to very typical adolescent bouts of angst and anger, all of which foreshadow his looming fate. Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is fast becoming one of the most accomplished Jedi masters. He is stolid, foursquare, reasoned and ultimately unimaginative, being, in the last analysis, unable to restrain his young apprentice.

The conflict between them is reflected on a galactic level. Separatists, led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) are taking star systems out of the Republic by the thousand, and the Jedi are at the forefront of trying to reunite the Republic. An increasingly marginalized Senate has voted Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) vast emergency powers for the duration of the crisis. More Hitler-like than Lincoln-like, the ambitious Palpatine has no intention of relinquishing those powers.

The Separatists have massed a huge army of (less than impressive, silly-looking, easily-destroyed, duck-faced) battle-droids (where are the Stormtroopers in white?) and an even more tremendous army of clones. The outnumbered Republic forces are forced to adopt the Separatist strategy of using droids and clones as well, until the two sides are virtually indistinguishable. What no one but the leadership realizes is that the two sides ARE indistinguishable; in fact, there are no sides. Palpatine is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and Count Dooku is his apprentice Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus. Together, they have machinated the entire war to overthrow the Republic and establish Sith control of the galaxy.

At the center of this maelstrom (both personal and galactic) is Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Her crucial Senatorial vote is courted by the power-hungry Palpatine. Her life is threatened by Count Dooku. Her heart is in the keeping of Anakin, now assigned to protect her. At first resistant to his romantic attentions, the older Padme soon succumbs to the younger Anakin's overwhelming love for her. It is a tragic, jealous love which leaves Anakin's soul in torment and his thoughts consumed with the fear of losing her.

Despite his rigorous Jedi training, Anakin continues to be emotional and impulsive. Seeing his mother, Shmi, tortured in a vision, he returns to Tatooine to rescue her. When she dies in his arms, his rage explodes, and he kills the responsible community of Tusken Raiders down to the babies, his first true step toward the Dark Side of The Force.

Portman is the jewel of the piece as she was in THE PHANTOM MENACE, but Christiansen gives us a surprisingly powerful performance as the profoundly conflicted Anakin. Even his occasional stiffness fits the late-teenage character of Anakin, who like most adolescents does not know who he is or where he is going. Overly pressured by Jedi expectations to be "the Chosen One who will restore balance to The Force," Anakin lacks the maturity and insight to cope with this role thrust upon him too soon, and uses his powers too casually, too carelessly, and even destructively. He clings to the maternal Padme obsessively, and rages that "Obi-Wan is holding me back!" out of jealousy, but left to his own devices, accomplishes little but to confuse himself more. "Young Skywalker is in terrible pain," Yoda tells Master Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) but none of these wise and reverend Jedi seem to have the skill to help him. They can barely help themselves, needing to be rescued from Count Dooku in the end by the clones. Truly, their "ability to use The Force is diminished."

This, the middle, is the best installment of the second trilogy. In terms of story and action, it is on a par with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, also the middle film of the first trilogy. ATTACK OF THE CLONES is also a crucial incremental step in the PARADISE LOST-like story of Anakin, who, like Lucifer, was the brightest of the angels but doomed to fall from heaven and become Satan.

Despite the fineness of this film it was not the critical success it should have been. This reviewer felt an inexplicable, vague sense of unease while watching it. Many others have said the same thing. It was not until a fourth or fifth viewing that the reason for this uneasiness struck home. ATTACK OF THE CLONES was created almost totally with digital filmmaking techniques. Although Digital and CGI have advanced technologically far enough along to give us an appearance of reality, they cannot substitute for reality. Thus, while most of the "inorganic" items in the film have a very real look, and the planetary city of Coruscant is absolutely intriguing to view, many of the "organic" backgrounds, the alien creatures, and sometimes even the droids and the sets, have an artificial feel to them, less seen than sensed, which disturbs we human beings on some visceral level. No matter how "natural" a computer can make a desert rock formation look, a computer is still a binary code machine, and it can only provide a "non-random randomness" to the scene. The stones are just an erg-fraction too sharp-edged, the mist is just a molecule too misty, the fall of the shadows is just a bit too angular, and it all lacks the subtle aliveness of an actual location.

At the end of THE RETURN OF THE JEDI, Lucas celebrated the victory of life over technology; by relying so heavily on special effects in ATTACK OF THE CLONES he undoes that victory.

I've seen a LOT worse.......2007-05-31

Between some of Lucas's questionable dialogue, not to mention the Geonosis C-3PO parts, and Portman's wooden performance, AOTC came way too close to being a disaster. I'm not sure what possessed George to hold back on showing Anakin as the powerful Jedi he was supposed to be but it was a bad decision. Anakin's duel with Dooku should've been better in content & directing. But again, there's few movies I'd rather watch than SW because of the good stuff.

Even though I still question the wisdom of killing off Maul in TPM, I love Dooku. He's the ultimate precise, smug second fiddle. And can you get a better henchman than Jango Fett? I loved the mystery surrounding him & Kamino as well as Geonosis. I get chills everytime I watch the first appearance of the future Stormtroopers. Anakin's first encounter with the Dark Side seemed very natural. It was nice to hear the `Imperial March' theme twice too. It was also a welcome scene to see Yoda go Jedi Master on somebody.

Another piece of the puzzle..........2007-05-25

Okay, I'm tired of all these people coming on here and complaining about how they hated this movie. The people who don't like the Prequel Trilogy are really missing out on the deeper and complete meaning of the Star Wars saga. They have to remember that this trilogy is set in a different era than Episodes 4, 5, and 6. This is the era of the Republic and the Jedi Order, which aren't present in 4, 5, and 6 because they were destroyed by the rise of Palpatine's Empire at the end of Episode 3. Episode 2 is very important because here we see Anakin's character development. Crucial events occur that will lead up to him turning to the dark side. The death of Anakin's mother, his marriage to Padme, and his friendship with Obi-Wan, as well as Anakin's strained relationship with the Jedi Council are all extremely important elements in the saga. Also present is Palpatine's manipulation and deception of politics in the galaxy and the guise of his grandfatherly-like relationship with Anakin. We need to see all these things in order to understand the story better. Star Wars is the story of Anakin Skywalker told in six episodes, and each one is important, because the story would be incomplete and not make sense if one episode was missing. This is a great movie, just like the other five. Any true fan of Star Wars would know that.

Star Wars II.......2007-05-17

This film fits in beautifully to the entire Star Wars saga. The acting is excellent -- the characters feel real as well as larger than life. As in all of the Star Wars movies, the special effects are breathtaking and fit seamlessly into the action.

Average customer rating:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features
good movie
Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss
Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins
Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better

Blood Diamond [Blu-ray]
Starring: Leonard DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000N0WCLC
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Customer Reviews:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features.......2007-07-03

Again HD DVD has all the extra features that BD does not have...Why would anyone support BD for less features is beyond me. Sad!

good movie .......2007-06-27

besides the superb quality of Blu Ray the film itself is worth the buy alone.

good actors, beatiful pictures and of course a meaningful story about the conflicts
that sorounding Diamonds and other resources that cost human lifes, sad thing.

as for the extras Nas Musicvideo included but not 1080p
and actor and director sugesstions mostly in 1080p

TIA :)

Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself received 5 Academy Award nominations, including best actor and best supporting actor. "Blood Diamond" was directed by Edward Zwick. The film itself is set in Sierra Leone Africa in 1999 during a civil war over "blood diamonds." These diamonds in the mines are found by the kidnapped boys that are forced to be made part of the rebel forces. Once found the diamonds then are smuggled out of the country and used basically to buy more weapons and just make the war even worse.

The film primarily stars Leonardo DiCaprio as "Danny Archer" (an ex-mercenary turned smuggler), Dijimon Honsou as "Solomon Vandy" (an African fisherman who's struggling against rebel forces to reunite with his family) and Jennifer Connelly as "Maddy Bowen" (an American journalist trying to expose the "Blood Diamond" ordeal going on in Africa).

The basic plot here to the film is that "Solomon Vandy" has been kidnapped by rebels who took his family and put his son "Dia Vandy" in the rebel army. "Soloman" is forced to work in the diamond mines and finds a huge pink diamond. After seeing that others who try to hide diamonds they find get executed by the commander of the rebel forces, "Soloman" still tries to hide this one in between his toes. He tells the foreman he needs to use the bathroom to try to make a smooth get away and hide the diamond but things don't go as planned. Long story short "Soloman" ends up in jail with "Danny Archer" who knows that he has hid the diamond. So "Archer" arranges for him to be released after he gets out himself and offers to help him get back his family in exchange for the diamond. Sounds simple enough, right?

I can now see why this film got the Academy Award nominations it that it did for best actor and best supporting actor. This is honestly a really good film.

Video Quality on this release is in VC-1 on a 50 gigabyte Dual-Layer Blu-ray Disc. The real problem here is consistency in the video quality. A majority of the time (especially the outdoors scenes) the picture is great but there are some rare occasions that (even other reviewers have noted) have some artifacts and pixilation problems. The real thing that tends to make this show is smoke in dark scenes. The black level is overall solid. Chances are by the time this film makes it's way to HD DVD I would say Warner Brothers will redo the video transfer. Considering like I said, this problem has been stated by others than just myself.

Overall though the video quality is good on this release and the rare problems in the consistency should not discourage the Blu-ray consumer from purchasing this release. If it does discourage you from purchasing this Blu-ray and you don't own a HD DVD player, you're totally going to be missing out on a really good film. If you do own a HD DVD player and are still a bit skeptic, my best advice for you is to wait until July when the film will be released on HD DVD.

Audio Quality on this release is in Uncompressed Linear PCM 5.1 @4.6Mbps as well as standard Dolby Digital 5.1. Like "The Departed" on Blu-ray Disc Warner Brothers decided to give this release a PCM 5.1 track. This is one of the few Warner releases on Blu-ray Disc to feature this and it's a shame because this really pays off to make for an amazing sound experience. The sounds of everything from crickets to gunfire to explosions to even the score sound absolutely awesome.

Bonus Materials on this release are in 16:9 (Widescreen) standard definition. First off is obviously an audio commentary by Director Edward Zwick. All of the bonus materials have subtitles to them here and pretty much describe what they are so I won't be going into a lot of detail unless it's noteworthy. There's "Focus Points: Featurettes and Production Diaries (46 minutes) which is pretty much the "making of" to this film. "Blood on the Stone: Follow a Diamond's Path from the Ground to the Store" (50 minutes) is a really in-depth look at the real "Blood Diamonds" out there. "Becoming Archer: Profiling Leonardo DiCaprio" (8 minutes) is just as it says, just a profile on Leo in this film. "Journalism on the Front Line: Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at War" (5 minutes) on the other hand is less about her and more about the actual women journalists that do cover these type of events. "Inside the Siege of Freetown: Edward Zwick on One of the Movie's Pivotal Sequences" (10 minutes) is really interesting and worth watching. Lastly there is the music video for "Shine on Em" by Nas. Overall this release has some pretty decent bonus materials but I have a feeling that an "In-Movie Experience" on HD DVD will be a tad better.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins.......2007-06-18

The movie was good. Buy it, rent it, rip it, whatever you want to do - just watch the movie.

From what I understand, ALL the Warner Bros high def transfers are mastered for HD-DVD first and then ported to Blu-Ray, making the technology argument completely moot. It's mastered in HD-DVD format first because it's easier and more economical for the studio to do so. What have we learned today? To date (as far as I know), all WB high def titles are mastered for HD-DVD, even if it's on Blu-Ray.

I still think Leo DiCaprio should have been Oscar nominated and won for his role in The Departed. But he did well in Blood Diamond, too. If you are fortunate enough to have both HD-DVD and BR, spread the love and pick up The Departed in HD-DVD, since it'll look identical to the BR version ;-O

It really is a shame that one has to go to the standard def DVD page to find out if people liked the movie, rather than have a typing war on why one format is superior than the other. If the studios really were as smart as they think they are, they'd release the same titles on both formats, allowing the people to decide who wins. Plus, they'd make potloads of money by having their cake and eating it, too.

Just my two cents.

Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better.......2007-06-08

Great moivie and love it, thought it was Dicapro's best performance. I enjoyed this movie at the theatre and thought the Blu-ray made this movie more enjoyable. It is not the best transfer not it is any reference material but the movie is great. I don't understand why those HD-DVD fanboi making comment on a Blu-ray disc, I will not buy a HD-DVD disk or player ever, that format is dying and thanks to my intelligent I pick the right format. All I can say is enjoy this great movie.

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005JPGO
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. --Bret Fetzer

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director, Edward Zwick (A revealing look at a filmmaker?s personal journey.)
Documentary:Blood on the Stone (RT: 50:00) Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store.
Featurette:1) Becoming Archer (RT: 8:29) - A profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war; 2) Journalism on the Front Line (RT: approx 6:07) - Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at war; 3) Inside the Siege of Freetown (RT: 10:28) - See how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene.
Music Video:"Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

This movie truly is an eye opener. Even though it is very hard to watch because of all of the killing, it is still a must see movie. Well written and well acted. I'm not a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but this movie made me think twice. Djimon Hansu is phenomenal. This movie shows the brutality of greed and power. Highly recommended.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Greed is the dark heart of "Blood Diamond," director Edward Zwick's ("Traffic," "The Last Samurai") uncompromising look into the underground trafficking of illegally-traded gems in sub-Saharan Africa. Greed of corrupt men for power, greed of an amoral mercenary willing to sacrifice anything for a chance to escape Africa, greed of Western businessmen who seek to artificially control the diamond market, and the greed of a simple man for his family's return. This movie powerfully demonstrates the valuelessness of a human life to those persons obsessed with blood diamond collection in war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

Djimon Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a simple fisherman and father of two who witnesses his idyllic existence crumble before his eyes. Rebels seeking new recruits, slaves, and random carnage swarm into his village. They select his adolescent son and other young men as future cadets in their guerilla army--following suitable brainwashing and manipulation techniques--before then getting down to the real business of slave collection. Seemingly devoid of any mental workings besides casual sadism, these bandits top-off their kidnapping and slave-taking exercise with the mutilation and execution of men deemed too troublesome for them to bother with. Vandy is rescued from dismemberment at the last minute when the rebels recognize his strength, seeing it as an asset they can utilize in their constant search for capital: the blood diamond pits. Condemned to toiling underneath the blazing sun with nary a chance of reaping any benefit (besides possible continued survival) for his efforts, Vandy happens to discover an egg-sized blood diamond hidden in the streambed. Hiding it underneath his foot, he buries it when the rebel encampment is attacked by government troops. The only witness to his "theft" is the wounded slave captain--now captured, along with Vandy, by government forces--who swears that the former fisherman will soon be begging to reveal the diamond's whereabouts.

Parallel to Djimon's character's storyline is the tale of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an opportunistic solider of fortune caught within a dichotomy of conflicting motivation. He desires escape from Africa at any cost, yet secretly knows that his blood will someday mix with the earth of his homeland. Perhaps it is this realization that he is doomed which propels Archer forward: in every action and every word, he seems to be daring destiny to obliterate him. Taken in and trained from a young age by Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo), Archer is easily the most dangerous entity alive on the continent: ruthless, misanthropic, callous, manipulative, and incredibly lethal with bullet and blade. After a close-call haggling with rebel leaders over fair prices for blood diamonds, Archer is arrested for smuggling while crossing the Sierra Leone border. It is here that he intercepts the distraught Vandy and begins weaving a plan to save himself from the war-torn country: by dangling the freedom of the fisherman's family as bait to cajole Vandy into revealing the gigantic diamond's location. Solomon, though a simple man, is not so easily fooled. He eventually agrees to help Archer--but only if the mercenary agrees to help locate his family and also permit Solomon to be his travel companion.

There is barely time for indrawn breath during the watching of this movie. Action sequences are furious, brutal, and frequent. The pace of the movie is frenetic. The score is perfect throughout. The "education" of Vandy's son by the rebels is heart-wrenching. Solomon's overarching belief that fatherhood trumps all initially feels naïve, but is eventually revealed to be the singularly most powerful force in the entire movie. Danny's character--the realist mercenary who seems most capable of surviving, when compared to Vandy--shows the most evolution, shedding layers of the personality onion until an actual human appears. He is moved to reveal an element of his past to the beautiful American reporter (Jennifer Connelly), whose persistence and mutual survivorship cements a bond they both were too proud to admit from their first meeting. Archer and Vandy relationship morphs into something beautiful when a sacrifice is needed, prompting Solomon to reverse that remarkably chauvinistic statement made by Rudyard Kipling over one hundred years ago: the "white man's burden."

This is hands-down Djimon's most impressive performance: I have never seen him better represent a character. In fact, he blurs the line between character and actor, totally suspending my disbelief to the point where I "knew" him only as Vandy. I have been told by an acquaintance--currently living in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)--that DiCaprio's accent is spot-on. In addition, he was utterly believable as heartless mercenary, and his later transformation was also quite convincing. The action sequences were, as mentioned, jaw-dropping in their intensity, but never felt gratuitous or over-the-top.

Easily one of my five favorite movies of 2006--miss it, and you risk missing some of the finest cinematographic wizardry and directorial finesse of cinema from the last year, period.

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

The Blood Diamond has double meaning. An extremely bloody war is being funded by diamonds, and the stars of the movie are after a huge stone that has a red tint to it. Leonardo Dicaprio is after the diamond and Djimon Hounsou (named Solomon in the movie) agrees to show him where it is, but only goes along with Dicaprio so that he can find his son. Solomon's son has been been taken and made into a 10 year old rebel soldier. Jennifer Connelly plays a journalist and does a great job of using her charm to help forget about the war that is going on, even if it is just for a moment. The best parts are the action scenes. Solomon will do whatever he has to to get his son back, and likewise for Dicaprio with the diamond. It all leads to a very exciting ending.

There is great drama, a great story, and marvelous acting from everybody, but the action sequences stood out the most to me. The rebels seem to enjoy killing everyone and anyone. When they show up, expect to see some intense shoutouts. The 2 fight scenes are also good, mainly because Djimon Hounsou is such a superb actor. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his rage. Dicaprio also gives an extraordinary performance. He may be better in this than he was in 'The Aviator'.

This is the best movie I have seen in at least a couple months, and I am a hardcore movie junkie. I don't like giving away too much in my reviews, in fact I always try to give away as little as possible. My rating sums up how I feel the best. This movie gets a perfect 5/5 from me. It is relentless, and I couldn't look away for a second. I can't believe I waited so long to finally watch this.

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Im not saying that this movie is comedy, but Djimon Hounsou's acting JUST MADE ME LAUGHT UNTIL MY STOMACH HURTS. I mean... I know that his character is suffering because of his family but there are like three scenes that he COMPLETELY OVER-ACTED the whole situation about his family!(specially in the final fight scene). AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Another funny stuffs are the gore that is kind of fake, DiCaprios's dialoge sometime is cheesy, Connelly wasn't acting! she was modeling and the captions that even describes the music that will play on the movie!!

The movie has a lot of action scenes but this is more like drama, and the action is choreographied as war! so don't think that the action is this movie is the same as Last Samurai by the same director.
I gave it 3 stars because all of that, but the movie is still entertaining and easy to understand.

adios and have fun with this movie.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MZHW1S
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MZHW40
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Got Boringly Familiar.......2007-07-05

Yes, there is action. Yes, there is decent acting. But ultimately, it becomes another preachy, and bogged down film.

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

Gettysburg
Historical Referance
For Civil War Enthusiasts...
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!
Fine depiction of three days of horror and honor...

Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Richard Anderson , Royce D. Applegate , Tom Berenger , Bo Brinkman , and Dwier Brown
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Civil War | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Gods & Generals
The Killer Angels
Andersonville
The Last Days of the Civil War (History Channel)
The Blue and the Gray (The Complete Miniseries)

ASIN: B00003CXA6
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com essential video

Three days in the summer of 1863, at a place called Gettysburg. Although it received a theatrical release, this four-hour depiction of the bloody Civil War battle was shot as a made-for-television film. But no taint of cheapness or shortcuts should stick to this magnificent picture (well, except maybe for those phony-looking mustaches). Based on Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels, this film takes a refreshingly slow, thorough approach to the intricacies of battle. In ordinary circumstances, those intricacies might seem of importance only to fans of military strategy or Civil War enthusiasts, yet in Gettysburg they come across as the very stuff of life, death, and unexpected heroism. If the film has a problem, it's that it climaxes too early: the first long segment, detailing the struggle of a "civilian soldier," Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), to hold his ground against long odds, is an enthralling piece of moviemaking. Daniels, in a heartbreaking performance, does his best film work. Other cast members include Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, and Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. Richard Jordan, in his final role, gives a powerhouse performance as Confederate general Lewis A. Armistead. Oh, and you can also try to spot Ted Turner, whose company produced the film, as a Confederate soldier. Writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell seems inspired by the gravity of the battle; long as it is, every moment of Gettysburg is informed by a nobility of purpose. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Gettysburg.......2007-06-12

Gettysburg is a great movie that was inspired by one of the most decisive battles during the Civil War. Ronald Maxwell, the director, hired a historain, James McPherson so help him in making sure the battle scenes were as true as they actually happened in 1863. Gettysburg has three days of fighting along with events that led up to the war making it very gory and action-packed. There is alot of death in this movie but since Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles with 50,000 American casualties, the amount of death in the movie is appropriate.
The first day of fighting consists of Buford trying to maintain his position in Gettysburg to make sure that the Union army has the best land position. The second day of fighting is centrally located at Cemetery Hill, Little Round Top, and Culp's Hill. The third and final day at Gettysburg consisted of one of the most famous battles at Gettysburg: Pickett's Charge. This is the day that Lee realizes that he has to retreat due to too many Confederate losses.
This movie is, historically, very correct. The locations of the battles are historicall accurate along with the general's names. Mostly everything in this movie was, in McPherson's eyes, historically accurate. One can learn alot about the Civil War by watching this movie because it shows how the soldiers felt and lived and the effects of war on them. It also talks about past and upcoming issues in the war. This was a great historical movie but also very entertaining and i would recommend it to anybody that was interested, or wants to become knowledgable about the Civil War.

Historical Referance.......2007-05-24

I found this movie to be an excellant composite of historical facts and charactors.
Heavilly based on the book "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.

For Civil War Enthusiasts..........2007-04-19

Turner Pictures' "Gettysburg" is the lengthy but fascinating dramatization of Michael Shaara's classic Civil War novel "The Killer Angels." At mini-series length and populated with an army's worth of solid actors, "Gettysburg" delivers the gripping story of the three-day battle as experienced by some of the key personalities.

Among the highpoints:

Sam Elliot as hardbitten Union Cavalry General John Buford, who recognized the value of the terrain at Gettysburg and whose decision to stand there helps bring on the battle.

Jeff Daniels is absolutely superb as Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, a professor at Bowdoin College become a leader of men at war. Jeff Daniels manages to capture both the intelligence and the determination that won Chamberlain a Medal of Honor in the desperate struggle for the end of the Union line at Little Round Top.

Tom Berenger gives a nuanced and conflicted performance as Confederate General Longstreet, Lee's most reliable Corps Commander, who advises Lee against the Battle at Gettysburg and who must overcome his better instincts to execute Lee's orders.

Martin Sheen does his best to deliver as Confederate General Robert E. Lee, but only just fails to capture the charisma and the hidden steel that made Lee such a deadly and successful battlefield commander for so long. Perhaps the best of his performance in this movie is his meeting with his missing cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, after the second day of battle.

The movie was filmed over the actual ground at Gettysburg using properly equipped re-enactors who add much authenticity to the battle scenes. The sharp-eyed viewer will enjoy picking out a number of actors hiding behind more or less authentic period whiskers. The magnificent score adds to the appreciation of what was at stake at Gettysburg, while the prologue and epilogue provide a haunting sense of the harsh fates awaiting many of the key players in the battle.

This movie is most highly recommended to fans of the Civil War who are prepared to overlook some TV-movie production shortfalls for an entertaining and educational dramatization of the Civil War's most fateful battle.

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!.......2007-04-14

Gettysburg may seem kinda long for most people, but it is defenitley worth the time! I have watched it many, many times over! Civil war buff or not, you need to watch it!

Fine depiction of three days of horror and honor..........2007-03-31

I think the four-hour saga of "Gettysburg" might be one of Ted Turner's enduring positive gifts to the world. This is worth seeing just for the performances of Jeff Daniels as Joshua Chamberlain, the heroic Yankee, and Kevin Conway as Sgt. Buster Kilrain, the non-commissioned officer who saw his worth and gave him confidence. The fact that it was filmed on the actual battlefield (with modern roads, buildings and monuments erased via computer) is a plus. It is a balanced mixture of talk, both brave and brooding, and action, both glorious and gory.

The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Very Good Movie
One of my favourites
My thoughts of why this movie was not popular in the US
Pretty silly
The Good/ The Bad/ The Ugly

The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ken Watanabe , Tom Cruise , William Atherton , Chad Lindberg , and Ray Godshall Sr.
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition)
Troy (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Braveheart
Gladiator - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Special Edition)
The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0001JXOVC
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Product Description

Epic Action Drama. Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.
Running Time: 154 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

While Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernized society in 1876-77, The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honor despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honor to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honor. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Movie.......2007-06-27

Something you'll want to watch a few times. Story of a civil war hero, fighting his own demons,(Tom Cruise) recruited to train the Emperors Army. He is forced to confront those demons and...A lot of similarites to "THE KING AND I". I primarily enjoyed the evolution of the main character brought on by...Lots of action. Lots of personal interaction of a philisophical nature. A somewhat "deep" movie. Hope I didn't spoil it for you!

One of my favourites.......2007-06-05

I don't care what the negative reviewers think, it's just a story, make-believe! Fiction doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, nor absolutely accurate either. You'd be hard-pressed to find any fictional films/stories that are.

And if a few liberties were taken with the historical element well, that's nothing new where Hollywood is concerned is it, and the film isn't meant to be historical in that sense anyway, just uses that period as a backdrop really. Poetic licence.

A number of people have likened it to 'Dances with Wolves'. Sorry but no. 'Dances with Wolves' bored me to tears. But 'The Last Samurai' is a lovely film, very emotive and with a nice soundtrack, and some great perfomances from all concerned. The themes were ones we could all do with being reminded of.

The only things about it that I didn't like were:

1. It didn't go on for as long as I would have liked it to.

2. The battle at the end seemed just a touch not right.

I've lost count how many times I have watched this film.

My thoughts of why this movie was not popular in the US.......2007-05-11

My profile 43 yo no qualifications as a movie critic

Browsing through the reviews (there is just too many), I stopped after finding out one reviewer who reflected on why this movie was not that popular in the US and why it it was almost not mentioned in the Oscar (that was my impression at least).. Well, the reviewer said something about the view of the "whiteman's burden" made have caused unpleasant reactions.. that could be part of the reason, but my opinion is, the movie was released at a bad political timing and was censored by Hollywood as part of the "Patriot" canpaign designed at getting moral support to the invasion of Irak

Now you may label me now as a "conspiracy paranoid", but let me deliniate some aspects too see if they are not logical.. in the movie, americans go to Japan as mercenaries with a agenda of opening the big arms trade with imperial Japan.. to make matters worse, an ethical crisis occurs to the character of Tom Cruise.. an actor who is still remembered as a patriotic pilot who shot down those dreaded MICs in "Top Gun" ( a movie destined to make the public feel good at their defense expenditure)... talk about a bad timing to reflect and see that your goverment; not only sends you to genocide the american indians, now its time to continue somewhere else!! and what's even worse, he joins the other side!!, not exactly the kind of attitude you need on the troop morale sent to invade Irak under weak grounds.. hell, was it not enough the catharsis done by all those Vietnam movies? (where Tom Cruise did a Nam veteran).. well that was then this is now... lets face it.. why such an epic movie, a superb production and what I consider Cruise's pass to inmortality in the world of true films, was given a "foreign movie" treatment??!!

Perhaps after the dust settles and a new peace period begins, this movie can be seen in its proper context..

Pretty silly.......2007-05-01

Tom Cruise as a Samurai warrior?--my curiosity got the better of me! Be prepared to suspend all disbelief for
2 1/2 hours for this film. Drunken, guilt-ridden, Indian War veteran is hired by Japanese government to stamp out rebellion, gets captured, dries out, and over the course of a few months becomes a disciplined, fierce, Zen-like Samurai warrior. In his spare time he becomes fluent in Japanese. He switches sides, becomes a master tactician, kills countless Japanese soldiers and a few Americans along the way, and lives to tell the tale.

The scenery was nice, the Japanese actors terrific, and thankfully the incipient love affair wasn't allowed to blossom on screen, which would have violated every norm of Japanese culture of the time. Maybe I'm taking it too seriously, but the notion that a Westerner could enter this proud, ancient culture with such relative ease seemed almost disrespectful to me. Several reviewers had trouble "getting" the idea of honor portrayed in the movie--that's just a measure of how totally impossible the plot is. No Westerner could ever do what Cruise does in this movie. Strictly for fun--don't expect anything remotely realistic.

The Good/ The Bad/ The Ugly.......2007-04-19

I can't stand Tom Cruise, but he sure was a hottie in this film. It's amazing what long hair on a guy and losing the whole Scientology thing can do for a person....

Anway, 1) I agreed with the whole sad Native American slaughter tragedy-the fact that it was horrible and I can't believe people actually did that. 2) Loved the scenery in Japan 3) Still don't/can't relate to the whole Japanese obsession with " honor" that is actually pride (Doesn't the Bible say that pride goeth before a fall)????

This movie was worth watching, but I wouldn't watch it again as it was way too sad. I can appreciate all the effort that went in to making this film

Average customer rating:

Incredibly moving
The finest Civil War movie
Completely satisfied, Excellent condition.
This is the definition of a truly great war movie.
Wonderfully acted and filmed...

Glory
Starring: Matthew Broderick , Denzel Washington , Cary Elwes , Morgan Freeman , and Jihmi Kennedy
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | African American Cinema | Genres | DVD | Video

General | African American Cinema | Genres | DVD | Video

Civil War | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
Amistad
Gods & Generals
The Tuskegee Airmen
Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)

ASIN: 0800177967
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Amazon.com

One of the very best films about the Civil War, this instant classic from 1989 is also one of the few films to depict the participation of African American soldiers in Civil War combat. Based in part on the books Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, the film also draws from the letters of Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), the 25-year-old son of Boston abolitionists who volunteered to command the all-black 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Their training and battle experience leads them to their final assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, where their heroic bravery turned bitter defeat into a symbolic victory that brought recognition to black soldiers and turned the tide of the war. With painstaking attention to historical detail and richness of character, the film boasts superior performances by Denzel Washington (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher. Directed by Edward Zwick (co-creator of the TV series thirtysomething), this unforgettable drama is as important as Schindler's List in its treatment of a noble yet little-known episode of history. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly moving.......2007-06-13

It's been 15 years since I last saw this movie and was as excellent as I had remembered it. The movie is superbly cast and is beautifully written and directed. Of particular note are the sweeping vistas of the military gatherings. They're big and rich and really set the tone for the magnitude of a great war epic. It's a great picture and should be viewed by all to gain an appreciation for just how important the black military was in effecting the outcome of the Civil War.

The finest Civil War movie.......2007-05-18

Quite simply, this is the very best (by a long shot!) Civil War film ever made by anyone. It is the gold standard by which all other films of the era should be measured. Outstanding acting by all, brilliant direction, stunning visuals and music, if you haven't seen this yet, all I can say is don't wait any longer, see it now!!!

Completely satisfied, Excellent condition........2007-04-04

The product is excellent.
The condition represented online is what I received.
I am completely satisfied.

Thanks you,
Larry Tucker

This is the definition of a truly great war movie........2007-03-23

To be quite honest, I had low expectations for "Glory." It was just another boring day at school sitting in my history class drawing random drawings in my notebook. Suddenly my teacher says we're going to watch a movie. I wake up from my dreamy state and I decide I'll give it a chance. He loads the VCR tape into the machine and I fix my eyes upon the screen.

I will put "Glory" into a few words--this is what every war movie strives to be and beyond. Glory tells the story of a Civil War colonel (Matthew Broderick) who leads the war's first all-black volunteer regimen into battles and discovers along the way he has to confront the moral question of racial prejudice within, and outside of, his regimen.

So as I'm sitting in history class watching "Glory," I immediately begin to perk up. From the explosive first scene, I was fully awake. My luck skyrocketed when I discovered two of my all-time favorite actors in the film, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. The movie progressed and I found myself becoming yet more and more drawn into the film--not just watching it, but actually EXPERIENCING every ounce of war, prejudice, and moral questions that face the characters in the movie.

What's even more, is that you find yourself becoming attached to ALL of the characters--every single black soldier--in some strange way, so strange, that when these men fall in battle you feel a jolt of power inside of you that is converted to emotional sadness in your mind.

The final scenes in Glory are mesmerizing. No, more than that--utterly spectacular. The final battle scene at Fort Wagner is so amazingly shot you will think you're actually there fighting along with the black regimen. You're not in your seat watching the film--you feel like you're there! The final battle scene is so spectacular, it will easily remain one of the most memorable battle scenes I've ever witnessed in all of film. After watching Glory, you will find yourself truly moved in all ways possible. You will almost feel like a new person.

All of this paired with a beautiful score by James Horner, Glory is simply one of the best war movies of all-time. Anyone who misses this film is missing out one of the most powerful, moving, and memorable experiences a movie can bring you.

I'm so glad I found myself in history this year.

Wonderfully acted and filmed..........2007-03-13

and mostly true, this look at the doomed black soldiers accepted into the Union Army during the waning days of the Civil War shouldn't be missed. Matthew Broderick gives perhaps his best performance, and the supporting cast is stupendous.

Average customer rating:

Got Boringly Familiar
eye opening movie
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!