Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Anna Thomson
Running time: 97mins

Simply put, The Crow is a revenge tragedy from the mid 1990s that is more famous for the tragic and untimely death of its star Brandon Lee (son of Bruce, killed accidentally by a faulty prop gun) than for the film itself. Based on James O’Barr’s original graphic novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Eric Draven, who rises from the dead a year later after he and his girlfriend were murdered (on Devil’s Night, the night preceding Halloween) to wreak revenge on their killers. Guided by a mysterious crow, Draven goes on a rampage of violence that boasts one grisly death after another, signing the bodies with his talisman’s winged outline. One by one he crosses them off his list, but is impeded along the way by the new resident crime lord who does not take kindly to the systematic slaughter of his associates.

The film draws on the gothic genre with references to Edgar Allen Poe and features a delicious show-down in a church, yet despite its dark tone and even darker atmosphere and palette, The Crow is essentially a story of love – a backstory of Draven and fiancée Shelly is told through flashback where they are painted beautifully as a couple very much in love, brutally murdered the day before they were to be married – there are touching and poetic moments throughout, including a scene where Draven tearfully retrieves his lover’s engagement ring from a white-trash pawn shop. The film also boasts an intriguing sub-plot in alienated young teen Sarah who turned to Shelly (when alive) as a surrogate parent after being more or less abandoned by her heroin addict mother.

Sadly, as with River Phoenix and his role as Chris Chambers in Stand By Me, the late Brandon Lee’s performance adds a further haunting element to an already dark film. Had he lived, Lee would arguably have built on the talent so clearly on display here. As Eric Draven, he gives a commanding performance with a great deal of presence and energy. The film is dedicated to him and his partner Eliza, and is a fitting tribute to a young actor so full of promise. Gothic, violent, dark and cool with a killer soundtrack to boot, The Crow is a cult hit that should rank among the best of graphic novel adaptations – and as the perfect Halloween film.

Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly
Running time: 143 mins

Only two years on from its original release, it may be hard for some to regard Blood Diamond as a ‘classic’, but classic it is. With its powerful mix of shocking ultra-violence, poignant scenes, liberal political message and standout performances, the film delivers on every level.

Blood Diamond begins with the dramatic and shocking assault on the village of Shenge by the Revolutionary United Front (the rebel side of the civil war), machine-gunning all in their path, murdering and maiming at will – these opening five minutes are hard to stomach, as the violence is almost too realistic. Women are raped and tortured. Children are abducted and torn from their families. Villagers are not killed have their hands cut off to prevent them voting in the Sierra Leone elections. Those with a nervous disposition or an aversion to blood, look away now. Along with seminal war films such as Saving Private Ryan, the bloodshed and gunfire in Blood Diamond is unsettling due to the fact that it really happened. What makes it even harder to watch is that we know that needless conflicts and atrocities like those witnessed in Sierra Leone are still going on.

Another element of near-the-knuckle realism is the film’s depiction of children being forcibly taken from their homes, brainwashed and indoctrinated (with shouts of “shed their blood! Shed their blood!”) and handed an AK-47. These are children, being taught to kill their parents and to relish the acts of murder they commit: making it all to easy to understand what Oxfam and Amnesty are fighting for when they say “children are born with these arms (hands), not these arms (guns)”.

The eponymous ‘blood diamond’ in question is a pink golf ball sized rock, which although on the face of it might sound impressive and beautiful, it becomes no more than an object of revulsion and disgust when we learn the lengths people go to obtain it and just how many lives pay for it. The diamond’s journey through the film forces the audience (this critic at least) to question why the hell we desire lumps of rock with which to adorn our fingers, necks and hands when people have to die in order for us to buy them.

The action sequences are gripping, terrifying, but more importantly ugly (the race out of Freetown in particular is adrenaline-charged) making a stark contrast with the majestic African landscape – the violence and hatred of the human conflict takes on a new devilry when set against the natural beauty of the continent.

Acting wise, the performances are spot-on. Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer is excellent, with a fantastic accent to match. Jennifer Connelly (Maddy Bowen) is also very good, although she isn’t given much reign as either of her co-stars. However, Djimon Hounsou steals the show with a reprise of the noble humanity and power he found in Gladiator to shape a truly moving performance. Supporting roles from Michael Sheen and David Harewood (as the psychotic Captain Poison) are also very solid.

The only thing detracting from the movie is the predictable Hollywood-shoehorning of a romantic subplot between DiCaprio and Connelly, which feels gratuitous and out of place. This aside however, Blood Diamond is an intense and thought-provoking thriller that is both profound and wildly entertaining. If you take away anything from the film, let it be the conviction to boycott conflict diamonds. Make sure they are ethically sourced, and not from African war zones. If you’re not careful, you might just have blood on your hands.