The conflict diamond trade — diamonds illegally traded to finance rebellions and terrorism — has come under international scrutiny of late, due at least in some small measure to the movie Blood Diamond. Set in 1999 Sierra Leone during its brutal civil war, this 2006 film raised the mainstream public's awareness of the problem. While conflict diamond operations now account for less than 1% of the international diamond business (by industry estimates), it remains a threat to global stability.

Blood Diamond may appear to have "social conscience" written all over it, but it's by no means preachy. The illicit diamond trade instead serves as a backdrop for what emerges as a brilliantly executed action thriller threaded with themes of greed, honor, and redemption. Produced and directed by Edward Zwick, whose previous credits include Glory and The Last Samauri, Blood Diamond is a relatively straightforward tale told in a circuitous, winding style.

Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Danny Archer, a Rhodesian mercenary turned diamond smuggler whose life becomes inextricably bound with that of Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), as both seek to recover a very large, very valuable, very rare pink diamond. It's an uneasy alliance at best, as their motives for recovering the diamond are at polar extremes. Archer sees the diamond as his ticket out of Africa, while Solomon views it as a means of rescuing his family, particularly his son (who has been brainwashed by the RUF) from the horrors of war.

It's hardly surprising that both DiCaprio and Hounsou were nominated for Oscars for their performances. Hounsou plays Solomon with an unswerving dignity tempered with quiet desperation, while DiCaprio's portrayal of Archer rivals Bogart's unflinching cynicism in his most memorable roles. DiCaprio is an actor who has finally grown into his face and can effectively pull off a Brit/ South African accent - no mean feat for an American.

It's the characters that drive this film, each of them lending credibility to the powder keg situation that was Sierra Leone in 1999. Jennifer Connelly's performance as a female investigative journalist was decried by some critics as a diversionary plot device during its theatrical release, but on viewing it on DVD, I found it to be a worthwhile depiction of female journalists in war zones.

Blood Diamond will stand among the truly great adventure films. It has all the angst of films like Casablanca and all the examination of the heart in conflict with itself that Grapes of Wrath and Treasure of Sierra Madre illustrate. The action is non-stop, and while it is a violent story, there is nothing gratuitous about it. The violence, depicted much as it happened, ultimately serves as an exclamation point that hammers home the atrocities that continue in Africa.

The two-disc special edition DVD release of Blood Diamond drives the point home even further. Special features include a 50-minute documentary entitled "Blood on the Stone" that illustrates the relative ineffectiveness of the Kimberley Process of certifying stones as being legal and free of smuggling. It's a documentary well worth viewing before viewing the actual movie. Other features point to how the actors prepared for their roles and how the filmmakers achieved the aura of realism inherent throughout the film.

Blood Diamond is a film that works on a number of levels without getting bogged down in relevance. It's a gripping film that explores a deplorable period in recent global history. Sadly, we haven't done nearly enough to correct the problem. We love our bling way too much.