1. What human rights issues were illustrated in the film? What international laws are in
place to stop or prevent those abuses?
2. Do you think the violence depicted in the film is necessary to accurately portray the
situation in Sierra Leone in 1999?
3. After the RUF burns Solomon’s village, they chop off the hands of the villagers. What
is the significance of this action? What does it symbolize?
4. The film began and ended in Antwerp, Belgium. How did events in Belgium relate to
events in Sierra Leone?
5. Why did Danny Archer become involved in the conflict diamond trade?
6. In the beginning of the film, all Danny seems to care about is himself. At the end of the
film, however, he is willing to die to protect Solomon. What prompted Danny’s change
of heart?
7. When Danny talks to Benjamin, the school teacher, Benjamin says that he wants to
believe all people are basically good, but his experience tells him otherwise. Danny
replies that people are just people. What do you think he means by this statement?
8. At the end of the film, Solomon comes face to face with Captain Poison, the RUF
commander responsible for forcing Solomon into slavery and turning his son, Dia, into
a child soldier. Captain Poison says that Solomon might think he’s the devil, but it is
only because he lives in hell. In what ways is Captain Poison a product of his
environment and in what ways is he a product of his choices?
9. For each character in the film, diamonds represent a different idea or symbol. Captain
Poison, for example, sees the pink diamond as his ticket to a better life. What do
diamonds represent to each of the characters?
10. What tactics does the RUF use to turn children into soldiers?
11. All of the characters are changed by events they have witnessed. How does each
character respond to the conflict around him or her?
12. Maddy, the journalists and other foreign players, such as aid workers, struggle with
reporting what they see, doing their duty, and actually helping individuals in need.
They often fall prey to an “us” vs. “them” attitude. How does the film deal with the idea
of “the other”?
13. Though the film focuses on the devastation of war, it also deals with reconciliation,
rehabilitation, and hope. What are some specific scenes that deal with these topics?
How can the country begin to reconcile and recover from the effects of war?
Aug 05