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| Director Edward Zwick on the set of Warner Bros. Blood Diamond – 2006 |
Ed Zwick has a taste for the epic. The Chicago-born moviemaker graduated from the AFI Conservatory in 1975 and quickly made his name as a writer and producer of the hit 1980s sitcom, “thirtysomething.†In 1989, Zwick made waves in the moviemaking world with the award-winning Civil War drama Glory, which nabbed three statues at the 1990 Oscar ceremony. After this first big-screen coup, Zwick continued his stream of critical and commercial hits as a director (The Last Samurai), writer (The Siege) and producer (Shakespeare in Love).
Now, Zwick has turned his eye to high-minded international thrillers, with the release of Blood Diamond. The film, which opened in theaters on December 8th, tackles the tough subject of the Sierra Leone diamond trade and its various political, social and economic repercussions. But don’t think that Zwick is simply about cheap thrills; as he himself explains: “There is no reason why challenging themes and engaging stories have to be mutually exclusive—in fact, each can fuel the other. As a filmmaker, I want to entertain people first and foremost. If out of that comes a greater awareness and understanding of a time or a circumstance, then the hope is that change can happen. Obviously, a single piece of work can’t change the world, but what you try to do is add your voice to the chorus.â€
Sound Off: When making a film about a social issue, do moviemakers have an obligation to make more than just a crowd-pleasing blockbuster? Is any topic fair game when it comes to making it big in the box office? Or should film be used as a medium to educate audiences? Has Zwick managed to merge these two goals with Blood Diamond? Talk back in the comments section!
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