Valentine’s Day is approaching and it appears that nothing can portray romance and love just quite like diamonds.
The act of giving diamonds is considered to be a symbolic act of love but the fact is that diamonds have become so largely important to our society that they are now referred to in many movies and not just as a symbol of love and romance.
Diamonds have been featured in the Hollywood cinematography as early as 1932, in the film “Night after night” when the hat-check girl remarked to the character portrayed by legendary actress Mae West “Goodness! What diamonds!” which Mae respond to by saying “Goodness have nothing to do with it, dear!”.
Ever since, the role of the diamonds began to consistently grow in Hollywood roles until the point where diamonds “grabbed’” the leading roles in several of them!
From a symbol of good wealth and romance, diamonds have also been a subject of heists and robberies in such classical movies like “To catch a thief” starring Grace Kelly and the “Pink panther”.
In the year 2000, diamonds played a leading role in the dark witty comedy by Guy Ritchie named “Snatch”. The comedy thriller told us the story of gangsters, followed by orthodox Jews, followed by Gypsies all on the pursuit for 80 carat diamonds.
Seven years later, in 2007, diamonds still had a leading role in the drama “The loss of a teardrop diamond” that revealed a story based on turmoil, romance and conflict followed by the lost of a precious diamond.
The most important movie ever made about diamonds was without a doubt the 2006 “Blood diamonds” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie is based on a true story that took place in Sierra Leone and reveals the life story of a man who made himself a key character in the conflict diamonds business. The movie takes place during the Political unrest in Sierra Leone in 1999 and describes very accurately how conflict diamonds affected (and still affect to this day) the tense situations in Africa.
Besides playing a leading role in the awareness raising movie “blood diamonds”, DiCaprio is also a well known activist regarding the issue of conflict diamonds.
Although it’s nice and fun to have references to diamonds in comedies and thrillers as the embodiment of wealth or romance, we actually prefer the more elaborate witty thrillers and the important dramas that showcase what can happen when our lust for diamonds gets out of proportions.
Since diamonds have been following us in modern cinematography for nearly 100 years, it’s safe to presume that diamonds will continue to play leading and supporting roles in films for many years to come.
Why the Hollywood industry is so obsessed with diamonds is uncertain but what is certain is that we enjoy films with references to diamonds and we are curious towards which roles the diamonds will continue to portray in the future.
What is your favorite diamond movie?